


Finding Your Place

by HalvedMimi



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abandonment, Deaf Character, Domestic, Foster Care, I promise, Kid Fic, M/M, Panty Kink, Past Child Abuse, Sign Language, Stanny - Freeform, There is no Sterek, sterek free
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-08 13:10:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5498162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalvedMimi/pseuds/HalvedMimi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny finds a neglected toddler and, realising she will need a temporary guardian, he steps up.  Somehow building his own impromptu family in the blink of an eye.<br/>Domestic Family Fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Summers were long and boring in Danny’s opinion. Sure the heat was nice but other than that, what was there really? He wasn’t like Jackson with money for anything he wanted. He wasn’t going to exciting new holiday spots. He was just walking around Main Street, trying to get the fresh air his mother had insisted on after three days of nothing but sleeping and gaming in is pajamas.

He came to an abrupt halt when he realised there was a small child on the footpath, completely alone. The kid was tiny. Possibly even a toddler, though they seemed okay with walking. Maybe three years old then?

“Hey little one,” Danny tried crouching down so he didn’t loom too much, “Are you looking for your mummy or daddy?”

The kid had huge green eyes as they checked Danny over then looked back up at him silently. No answer.

“Do you need help?”

Big eyes and a slightly trembling lip. Danny realised it then. This kid wasn’t ‘sweaty child on a hot day’ dirty. He was 'not washed in at least a week’ dirty. He reeked of unchanged diapers.

“You know who’s good at helping when you’re lost? Police officers. How 'bout I call one of them and stay with you until they can get here?”

Still no response but he supposed it was fair enough. Kids aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. Danny sat himself down on the sidewalk with his back against a shop front and pulled out his phone. The kid hesitated for a minute but by the time he was talking to the dispatch officer, the little dude had waddled over and sat down beside him in the shade.

It was less than five minutes after he hung up that a car pulled up. It was Stiles’ jeep. The sheriff was in the passenger seat in full uniform. He stepped forward all confidence and command while Stiles bounded along beside him like an excited puppy.

“Afternoon Sheriff.” Danny greeted, moving to stand up. The sheriff waved him back down and crouched down low to meet their little friend.  
“Hey there little guy. I’m Sheriff Stilinski. You can call me John though if that’s easier.” No response.

“Do you think you could tell your name little one?”  
The kid lent sideways then, little hand gripping Danny’s pocket for balance as he moved away to look behind the sheriff.

Stiles moved out from behind his father and crouched down too. He didn’t say anything but he had a stupid smile on his face and waved at the kid from less than a foot away.

A shy smile turned up for about half a second as the kid waved back.  
“That’s more response than I got.” Danny acknowledged but the little guy didn’t even look his way when he spoke. 

“Huh… Hey, Danny can you clap your hands but don’t do it where he can see the movement.” Stiles instructed while he smiled at the little guy and smoothed the sweaty hair out of his face.

Danny did as he was told. Louder than he’d expected with the storefront causing an echo. The kid didn’t even flinch. Stiles smiled at that pointed to the little guy and made some hand gesture like he was scratching down his throat. The toddler was up in an instant and hugging Stiles’ knee. Stiles laughed and patted the little strawberry blond curls resting on his leg before looking up at the other two to explain.

“Deaf and hungry.”

Danny took that in quietly. That was going to make it so much harder to find the parents. Asking children questions could be damned near impossible without worrying about a language barrier on top of it.

“It’ll be a while before any other officers show up,” the sheriff explained to Danny, “They were struggling to get a child seat in the squad car; It always takes them forever. That’s why I got sent over in the middle of my lunch break.”  
There’s a salad place up the road and Danny gets handed a twenty and sent to go and buy something child appropriate to feed him while they wait. He’s not really sure what’s appropriate for someone that age but he goes with a bacon pasta salad and a bottle of water. He also makes sure to nab a whole handful of those wet napkin things for the kid. If nothing else they can make sure his hands are clean before he starts eating. 

He drinks more than half the water bottle before even looking at the food. But once the food is on his radar it’s demolished in less than five minutes. Stiles seems genuinely thrilled by the kid’s enthusiasm while Danny is just trying to keep the creamy pasta sauce from being smeared all over everything. He must have cleaned those tiny hands at least six times in five minutes and once the food is gone and the rest of the water is practically inhaled, it takes another two wet napkins to clean his face. When it’s all over the little guy wraps a hand around Danny’s pinkie finger and puts his head down on Stiles’ lap. He falls asleep instantly. 

It’s a little awkward sitting on the sidewalk with nothing to look at but a craft store window and a child sleeping in the lap of team mate. Danny shuffles a little closer to the kid so his arms not at such a weird angle and looks over at Stiles.

“Where’d you learn sign language?”

“I didn’t. Just learned how to tell my dad I was hungry in about twelve different languages. Dad used to say that I spoke so fast that the words blurred together and that if he couldn’t understand me then he would just assume I was asking for food. So I learned how to ask for food in ways he wouldn’t understand and because he couldn’t understand me he would guess correctly at what I wanted. I was a weird kid; I enjoyed the ridiculous irony of it all.”

Danny tried not to laugh at that but it was just so very Stiles. Stiles had been his straight boy crush for a couple of years now. He knew nothing was going to happen. He knew Stiles was straight if only because he was so comfortable with Danny’s sexuality that it was impossible to believe that he could ever be in the closet.

Danny found himself sitting there trying desperately not to have horribly domesticated day dreams about the sleeping toddler between them actually being their child and pretty much failing horribly.

The sheriff interrupted his thoughts when the squad car arrived. One of the deputies picking up the sleeping child without causing more than a wrinkled brow and carried him off to the car to be buckled in. Something in Danny died a little bit when he had to pull his finger out of that sweet little child’s grip and watch him get carried away.

The squad car left for the hospital to get the child cleaned up, checked out and probably re-hydrated. Danny and the Sheriff both climbed into Stiles’ jeep to get dropped off at the station for Danny to give a statement.

~~~

Danny had been at the police station for about half an hour. It didn’t take that long to explain the events around finding the child but it did take a stupid amount of time to sign all the paperwork to say his statement was as true and correct as it could be, and that he was willing to state this to a court of law if need be. Especially since Deputy Parrish insisted that Danny actually read the paperwork before he signed it. To be honest he spent more time pretending to read than actually taking in what was written on the papers before him. Stiles finished up just before him. Technically Stiles didn’t need to give a statement since he’d arrived at the same time as the sheriff but he had insisted and taken a seat in his dad’s office to scribble out his day on the pile of papers handed to him.

“Hey, I’m going to head to the hospital and check in on the little dude. You need a lift anywhere?” Stiles asked as Danny finally signed the last form.

“Uh, yeah. Mind if I tag along to the hospital?”  
Stiles nodded and led the way back out to the jeep.

–  
Pediatrics was not an area of the hospital he’d ever expected to visit. All the nurses and most of the visitors seem calmer and happier. Though those that weren’t calm looked absolutely devastated. Having a sick child must be hard enough without being surrounded by happy clucky people cooing over newborns.

Stiles tried to charm the nurse at reception but before they’d even really said anything it was a firm no on anyone that wasn’t family: No seeing the child and definitely no sharing of information.

“I’m sorry Miss,” Danny cut in before Stiles’ flailing arms knocked a child out of someone’s arms, “I found a toddler unaccompanied walking through Main Street today. Starving and unwashed for way too long. The police bought him here for a check-up. He’s only about two or three, olive skin, strawberry blond curls and mossy green eyes. We think he may be deaf. The police are still trying to find his family. I just want to know that he’s okay. Anything you can tell us would be so, so appreciated.”

“There was a little girl bought in with that description. Honestly everyone assumes that all dirty children are male. Neglected girls get dirty too you know.”

“Is she okay?” Stiles whispered, knuckles white where he gripped the edge of the nurses’ station.

“You boys are the ones that found her?” the nurse clarified again.

“Yeah,” Stiles agreed, pulling out his driver’s license and handing it over, “My dad’s the sheriff. I was with him when he got the call. Danny here found hi- her.”

Danny nodded and passed over his ID too. The nurse actually photocopied the cards before handing them back and leading them down the corridor.

“She’s sedated right now. We thought getting her cleaned up and inserting the IV would be less traumatic for her that way. Especially since we don’t have an interpreter on staff. She was mal-nourished, dehydrated and has a severe skin condition from the festering diaper. We’re estimating that she was on her own for about three or four days. If it hadn’t have been summer she wouldn’t have lasted this long. Given the amount of animal attacks our town sees, it’s a miracle she survived anyway.”

Danny made an involuntary sound at the thought of some mountain lion carting her off to its den.

They were led into a quiet room with four little cots along the wall. The first one was empty. The next had a child with a cast, a head bandage and a breathing tube. Stiles’ hand clutched the back of Danny’s sleeve as they passed that one.

There was another empty cot and then there was their little girl. Clean as a whistle and sleeping away tucked under a thin white blanket. The hand resting on her belly had an IV drip taped in. The other hand was clutching at her own ear.

Danny stepped forward and ran the tip of his finger along her tiny nose. She was okay. She’d get better and healthier. She’d be safe.

“What happens if they can’t find her parents?” He asked the nurse. Whispering over the sleeping child even though she wouldn’t stir if he’d yelled it. The nurse just gave him a pitying look.

“Given the state of her and the lack of missing person’s reports, I’d say she’d be better off without her parents.” was the blunt answer. A horrible feeling settled in Danny’s stomach.

“They’ll put her in the system.” Stiles realised and moved up to stroke her little arm.

“Foster care,” the nurse confirmed, “Maybe a group home for disabled children if she’s lucky. Nobody adopts the children with disabilities. Not even the deaf ones.”

–  
Danny spent the entire night thinking about the little girl in the hospital cot and every horrible thing television had ever taught him about foster parents. Free Willy was literally the only example of a positive foster parent situation that he could even think of and even then the kids hated being there for the most part.   
He spent a lot of time thinking about Jackson too. About how much he resented being adopted and how hard he worked to be worthy of his place in the family. Danny realised that it was all unnecessary and Jackson just had to be willing to be there to keep his parents happy but Jackson could never see that. He had some strange expectation that his parents would change their mind and decide they didn’t want him anymore. It was painful to watch. Must be even more so for Jackson to actually live through it. The idea of that little girl growing up like that was still best case scenario though. As far as Danny was concerned, foster care was not even an option he wanted to contemplate. She had to be adopted and he was going to make sure she was adopted by a good people that were willing to learn her language and not make her feel left out because of it. 

He spent from sunrise 'til his mother woke trying to think of someone in Beacon Hills who was willing to adopt a little girl. He didn’t want her to move away. He’d already decided that he was staying in this girl’s life. Danny absolutely needed to know that she was okay and doing well. Occasional visits wouldn’t cut it. She needed to be nearby so he could see her as regularly as possible. Preferably within the same household.

He got up and went downstairs to talk to his mother. She acted like the world had come to a stop to see her teenaged son awake and coherent before 11am. Danny ignored it in preference to explaining what happened the day before and asking her to come with him to the hospital to visit. She took the news in stride and got a little teary eyed when he explained the condition she’d been in.   
They didn’t talk much on their way to the hospital. His mother was a woman who loved quickly and fiercely. He could tell she was already completely taken by the little girl he’d rescued. Danny didn’t bother with the nurse’s station in case they told him he couldn’t go through. Instead he walked straight past like he owned the place and led his mother down the corridor.   
When they got to the room he found Stiles sitting in one of the visitor’s chairs bouncing the toddler on his knee while the sheriff stood over them looking concerned.

“Oh, she’s so precious!” his mother announced and hurried over to sit beside Stiles and make faces at the child. Danny waved awkwardly and stepped further into the room. He really hadn’t counted on running into the Stilinskis.

“Any news on her parents?” he asked as he eyed the way his mother itched to steal the child into her own lap.

“She has very distinct features. Red hair and tanned skin is rare enough that the search results came back quickly. Nationwide, no one’s reported her missing. We’re waiting to see how many children in her age range meet her features. We’ll start checking the list as soon as it’s compiled. We’ll find the parents eventually.” the sheriff explained.

“Yeah but they’re not getting her back right? They didn’t report her missing. That’s negligence. They’re not getting her back.” Stiles hugged the kid and ran his fingers in patterns on her spine.

“Not without extenuating circumstances, no. Her parents could be incapacitated somewhere and she managed to wander off. But most likely she’ll have to be placed in the care of a relative or the system.”

“What about the mean time?” his mother asked and Danny tried not to smile. Step one was to get his mother to volunteer foster care if at all possible.

“There’s a group home that caters to disabilities in the next county. We’re just waiting to see if they have any vacancies. The doc wants to keep her here for observation until tomorrow anyway. Hopefully she can go straight there.

"That’s too far.” Danny complained at the exact same time the Stiles came out with a determined “No.”

“Boys. Beacon County doesn’t have any registered foster carers that have ticked the box for disabilities.”

“I’ll take her.” Danny announced as he moved forward and basically stole the child out of Stiles’ arms. Her left hand still had the IV attached so he moved her around until it wouldn’t tangle with any limbs before smiling down at the sweet little thing.

“You’re a minor. You can’t just take a child; there are rules.”

“I turned 18 three months ago. I was held back in middle school from all the surgeries; I’m not a minor.” Danny pointed out and bounced the little girl.

“Daniel!”

Okay so mum was not happy. He did have this whole subtle - foster her for a while then bring it up after his mother was unconditionally attached - sort of plan but he got way too ahead of himself. His mother wasn’t the only one in the family that loved quickly and fiercely.

“I thought about it okay? The school day is shorter than a work day so that’s less time for her in day care for the first year. Then I graduate and I was planning on doing college digitally anyway so I’ll be home most of the time right up until she starts school. It’d work. I can do this.”

“Daniel that is a plan for adoption, not foster care. She probably as an aunt or someone who will be put in guardianship. Stop getting attached to wayward children.”

“Why? Clearly no one else is attached to her. My best friend was adopted! I know how much it sucks. I want to make sure she’s not in the wrong place and that only works if I’m in control of where she is.”

“Danny, baby, I know you want to be a dad one day but eighteen is too young. You might not be a minor anymore but you do live under my roof and I’m saying no babies.”

She rubbed his arm as she said it but he turned away from her, focusing on the child and making sure he wasn’t pulling on the IV line. Maybe he could get an apartment. His mother hated being alone in the house and his dad travelled for work a lot. Half the reason he was taking college online was so he wouldn’t have to leave her behind but here he was considering moving out just because of a kid that he’s spent less than two hours with on the whole.

“What if I help?”

Danny looked down sharply at Stiles who was now sitting on the edge of the chair, playing with the tiny toes before him.

“Stiles!” the sheriff looked grumpy now, “This isn’t like the time you wanted to go halves with Scott on the X-Box. You are not going to be a seventeen year old parent.”

“No, okay, look. We’ll look after her until you guys can figure out if she’s got any real options for guardians. If she does, fine. If she doesn’t then we’ll talk about it then.”

“Stiles…”

“Dad! You really going to put this little angel in a care home? Hasn’t she been through enough?”

“You’re still a minor. This has nothing to do with you. Danny if you want to do this and your mother isn’t willing then you would need to find an alternative appropriate place to live and have it baby proofed by tomorrow. Do you think that is a possibility?”

The sheriff looked smug and Danny deflated. There was no way he could get everything set up before she was released from the hospital tomorrow.

“I know a guy who owns a building. He lives in one of the lofts. The rest of the place is empty. A few throw rugs and it would be perfectly liveable.”

“You do not.” his father objected.

“Do too. Derek owns that whole building. It’s a little cold in winter but there’s plenty of time to fix that and the security there is unbeatable.”

Danny’s ears picked up and he looked over at his mother. She looked horrified at the idea of him moving out but it’s not like he couldn’t visit. Or she could come visit him. This kid was more important that his mother’s preferences right now.

“Do you think he’d let me rent on such short notice?”

“He owes me a few big favours. Give me a minute and I’ll make a call.”  
Stiles was out of the room with a phone to his ear before either of the adults could stop him. Danny smiled and kissed the curls currently snuggling on his shoulder.

“Danny you can’t do this.”

“Ma, this kid is important to me.”

“You don’t have an income. The Gap has been giving all your shifts away to the college girls this summer.”

“I’ve been charging people to build and maintain their websites for three years now. I was saving up to be able to put a deposit on a house after I got my degree but it won’t hurt to use it now. No one else my age it that organised. I have plenty of money, Ma. I’m sorry but I have to do this, with or without your blessing.”

Stiles came flapping back into the room with a grin and a thumbs up.  
“Derek’s on board. Third and Fourth floors have random issues here and there but the loft on the second floor is good to go. All you’d need is some furniture, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff and maybe a couple of rugs. If we hit up Ikea before lunch we can probably get it all delivered this afternoon. I’ve got a measuring tape in the Jeep if you want I’ll help you measure up the space then we can go check out all the cool kids furniture.”

Danny beamed at him. The sheriff wiped his face tiredly and Danny’s mother burst into tears.

He put the girl back in her cot and gave her a little wave to show he was leaving. Her lip trembled and a sob came out. Stiles came rushing forward and made a couple of weird gestures. She wiped her face and he repeated whatever he’d said. She nodded quietly and lifted her hand to her face in a gesture of her own. Stiles laughed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She turned to Danny then and repeated the sign. He didn’t hesitate to kiss his little girl and got an almighty grin because of it. He waved gently again and she waved back, eyes glued to his every movement as he handed his keys to his mother and left the room.

“I thought you didn’t sign?” Danny asked as they headed toward the car park. 

“I looked a few of the basics up online last night. There’s this one site that shows you how to do it properly and then shows you how kids tend to do it as their learning. Same way that little kids mispronounce stuff until they learn to say stuff properly. I’ll send you the link when I’m at my computer.”

“Thanks. For everything, you know.”

“Yeah. 'Course. I’d be doing the same thing if I was old enough.” Stiles pointed out as they climbed into the car.

–  
Ikea had actually been great fun. Sure Danny decided to be cheap and steal his own bed out of his mum’s house, if she complained, he’d totally give it back but for now it was just one thing less to spend his savings on. He bought a pale yellow kids bed with attachable railings that he could remove when she was old enough to not roll out in the middle of the night and a little matching wardrobe and dresser set. He got plastic storage drawers and a coffee table, a little dining table and a high chair. He got bright blue plates and bright yellow bowls and this stupid frog head shaped spot rug that Stiles insisted on getting. They picked out a navy blue sofa that unfolded into a guest bed for when she was old enough for sleep overs with friends and a bright orange bean bag that Stiles insisted she would love while refusing to get out of it until Danny agreed.   
They took the smaller stuff in the Jeep with the promise that the larger items would be delivered at 3pm. Then they hit up the grocery store to stock the kitchen, the bathroom and the cleaning cupboard. He stocked up on what had to be waaay too many plastic bumpers for the corners of furniture and childproof locks for all the drawers and cupboards.

At three the furniture arrived along with his new landlord, Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey. They all grabbed a piece of furniture each and started assembling. Lydia turned up three hours later with enough Chinese food to drown in and they had a bit of a party half on the kitchen bench, the rest at the newly assembled dining table. He hadn’t really been a part of a big group of friends before. When he’d been held back and ended up in the same grade as these guys it had sort of always just been him and Jackson. When they starting dating it expanded to him, Jackson, Lydia and Brian but all in all still a small group. They were popular, but they were never really in large groups. This little circle seemed huge right now. All the people that gravitated to Stiles automatically welcoming him into the fold. It was nice. Real damned nice. Especially with the large amount of unknown currently hovering over his head.

His mother turned up as they were cleaning up their mess. Her eyes were bloodshot but she had his clothes and books. His computer tucked safely among it all. She greeted the others in the apartment and looked through every nook and cranny. She found three more places to put corner bumpers on and ran down to the car to come back with a little plastic step to help a child reach sinks and things. She also had a potty for toilet training, a large pack of diapers and a couple of books on sign language. He did his best not to tear up at that. Instead he offered to reheat some of the egg rolls for her.

The others all headed out over the next hour until it was just him and his mum sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee each.

“You organised it all so quickly. I feel like you must have been planning to leave me for a long time.”

“No! Ma, I didn’t want to leave you at all. But I need to do this for little Mina - I’m going to call her Mina until they find out her real name - She just really needs someone and I feel like it’s supposed to be me.”

“You truly love this child already?” It was a question but she knew the answer, petting his face and watching his eyes as he nodded, “Alright. I may need time to deal with losing you and gaining a grandchild in a single day though. You do know this means no more sleeping in right? Not for another fifteen years at least.”

“Well, at least you can sleep in now, right?” he joked. She didn’t laugh. Instead she cried.

It took a lot of hand holding and the quiet discussion before she picked up her handbag and wished him goodnight. He slid the door closed behind her and took a deep breath. He had a huge open plan apartment with two closed off bedrooms to the side and another cosier room up a spiral stair case that overlooked the lounge. The upstairs bit wasn’t touched yet, other than to have a kiddy gate at the bottom of the stairs. He was going to set up an office/study up there.

He wandered over to his new bedroom and peered in at all of his familiar possessions in such an unfamiliar place. He moved on to look at Mina’s room and found Stiles sitting on the floor un-packaging toys and finding them spots in the drawers and toy boxes. There were seahorse sheets on the bed with a little purple teddy bear tucked in.

“I thought you left with the others.”

Stiles looked up, surprised by the interruption, before his face went blotchy with embarrassment.

“I wasn’t ready to go yet. You know I wasn’t joking when I said I’d do this if I were old enough right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you know I’m serious about helping?”

“Yeah.”

“'Cause this kid, it feels like she’s supposed to be mine. I can’t really explain but she’s just like really important.”

“I know man. I felt like that the moment I met her. It’s why I’m doing this.”

“And you promise to ask if you need anything. Not just if you need it though. If you just want help, say it because I really want to help, okay?”

“Thank you,” Danny took a deep breath and tried not to get all emotional about this. He ended up laughing while Stiles looked confused, “Never thought I’d be having a kid with you.”

Stiles looked a little startled before a huge grin spread over his face, “So you are okay with me being a part of this? Because, honestly, if you tell me to leave, I’m not sure I’d really be able to.”

“Yeah, I’m okay with it. I don’t think I’d be able to do all this without you in truth.”  
Stiles grinned, dumped the last of the wooden blocks in a box and scrambled to his feet.

“So is your computer set up yet? If it is, we could check out a couple of the sign language sites?” Stiles decided as he herded Danny out the door and into the open area.

Danny grabbed his laptop and booted it up at the dining table.  
“I’m calling her Mina by the way. Just until we find out her name. I felt awful constantly thinking of her as 'the kid’.”

“Mina. Nice. Do you know what it means; cause if you do that would be the sign for the name. She’s too young to really spell her name so she’ll need a simple sign for it.”

“It means loved but I figure she’s probably already got a sign for her name. I’ll just pronounce that sign as Mina until I learn otherwise.”

Stiles nodded at that and sat down with two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies. Danny tried not to smile too obviously as Stiles wiped his fingers and navigated to www.mysmarthands.com.

They spent the rest of the evening signing things at each other and thinking of things to look up. As they practiced they got slowly less awkward and more fluid with their movements. Stiles had a small notebook and took notes here and there, lean fingers quickly sketching hands in differing positions with arrows to show which way to go. It was mesmerising to watch him draw like that. Stiles didn’t even take art but he was really very good at it.

It was nearly midnight before they decided to call it a night. Stiles grabbed his stuff and looked around frantically like he’d forgotten something important.   
“If you’ve forgotten anything just text me and I’ll bring it to the hospital tomorrow.” Danny pointed out.

“Right, yeah. Nine o'clock. Don’t forget to pick up a car seat and get it fitted before that. The shop opens at eight.”

“I know.”

“And bring ID. And a couple of pens that you know work.”

“I know.”

“And just… I don’t know. Geez, I feel like I’m leaving an arm behind and she isn’t even here yet.”

“I know.” Danny smiled and walked Stiles to the door, “Seriously. Just go home and get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day and, hey, there’s a sofa bed if you want to sleep over on her first night to make sure she’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, yeah. Please. Thanks man. For all of it.” Stiles made a couple of odd abortive movements before throwing his arms around Danny and pulling him down into a hug. He disappeared quickly after that, face all blotchy again and Danny found himself tamping down his feelings. Straight boy crushes never end well but he was guessing a straight boy crush with a child adoption in the mix was probably going to end in outright disaster.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles’ jeep was already in the parking lot by the time Danny arrived. It was only half past eight but he would have been earlier if they hadn’t been so damned long to fit the car seat. He all but ran through the hospital to get to paediatrics and then came flying to a stop just before entering the ward. 

This was huge and scary and would change his entire life. He’d moved out of home with less than a day to organise because of this. The whole situation was freaking terrifying.

“Danny, man, you gotta get in here. I’m not family so they won’t let me see her but I can hear her crying.” Stiles erupted from the corridor and started dragging Danny in. The moment Danny heard that she was crying he was pushing ahead.

“I’m here to pick up Min- … the little deaf girl. I’m taking over her guardianship.” Danny announced, striding up to the nurses station with every bit of confidence he could master.

“I’m going to have to wait for child protective services to arrive before I can release her to anyone. Besides, she’s in the middle of getting her vaccinations. She wasn’t up to date with any of them.”

“You have her vaccination records? Does that mean they found out who she is?” Stiles lent so far forward he was nearly motor boating the woman behind the desk. Danny grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, waiting for the answer.

“They found her birth record. No given name listed and no medical records from that point onward. Parents are being tracked down now.”

“What do you mean by no given name? Don’t you have to put one of those on to register the birth in the first place?”

“Yes but plenty of parents can’t decide and leave that blank for a week or so. When the final decision’s been made they come back and fill it out. Unfinished files are the first place we look when they find abandoned children. This one is from the outskirts of Seattle. Information came in overnight.”

“How did she get out here from Seattle?”

“Not uncommon, honey. Parents leave one town as a small family, arrive at their new town as a young couple without a care in the world; they leave the unwanted child at one of the towns along the way. Otherwise neighbours tend to notice when children go missing.”

“Circulation dude.” Stiles complained and Danny looked down to where Stiles was pointing. His shirt was pulled super tight against a surprisingly firm looking stomach but Danny couldn’t really comprehend why Stiles was trying to show off his abs at a time like this. By the sound of things Mina had been neglected since birth and definitely abandoned, “You need to let go.” Stiles explained and Danny stared uncomprehending until Stiles wiggled and Danny realised he was still gripping the back of Stiles’ shirt. He was holding on so tightly the cotton was threatening to meld with Stiles' actual skin.

“Sorry,” he released his grip and looked back at the nurse, “Can I go see Mina now?”

“You don’t need her associating you with all the needles she’s getting. Just wait a little longer and go in to calm her down when they’re done.” The nurse instructed and pointed to the chairs lined against the far wall.

Danny nodded distractedly and went over. He couldn’t sit though. There were odd sad noises floating down the hall that were clearly coming from a deaf child who didn’t know she was making sound. Her sobs were heartbreaking and Danny just wanted to run in there and hug her.

The sheriff arrived not long after with a very officious-looking woman matching his stride. They spent several minutes talking to the head nurse and fussing over paperwork before the sheriff bothered with introductions. Mrs Thicket asked a lot of questions about Danny’s age and income and lifestyle. He answered them all politely. Even the overly probing questions that he considered irrelevant or rude. He also countered her with a bunch of questions about Mina and what they’d found out about her circumstances.

Turned out they’d found the parents and someone was visiting them as they spoke. That being said, it was more than likely that it would take at least a week to clear the parents’ names and officially allow them returned custody of their child. And that was only the best case scenario. If there was any doubt as to the competency of the parents, which the evidence was strongly pointing towards, then it would take months or even years for them to be allowed back in their child’s life, if at all. 

After all the explanations they were finally allowed in to see her. Mina’s face lit up as Danny walked into the room. She grinned with her little tear stained cheeks and kept looking back and forth between him and Stiles. Danny signed _‘Hello Cutie’_ and stepped forward to pick her up. The moment she realised, she was on her feet with her hands in the air, ready for a hug. Pride swelled up in his chest to know that she wanted to go to him as much as he did. It didn’t hurt to have children’s services witness it either. She snuggled into his shoulder and Danny couldn’t have hidden is smile if he tried. 

They gathered up Mina’s few possessions which equated to a pair of tiny sneakers, a mis-matched pair of socks, cotton overalls and a tiny little white shirt. They were filthy and sealed in a zip lock bag. Mina herself was barefoot and in nothing but a diaper which Danny considered fairly appropriate for a three year old on a hot day. 

He’s holding Mina on his left hip as he signs the release forms at the nurse’s station when he feels someone hovering close. Danny turned to look over his shoulder in time to see Mina reaching out a hand, Stiles taking it and kissing the tiny little knuckles before letting go. Mina hid a tiny grin behind Danny’s shoulder and reached out again, making a grabbing motion with her hand. Danny turned back around and tried to finish the paperwork without melting into a puddle of feelings as Stiles repeatedly kissed his little girl’s hand.

They made a three car convoy for the trip home. Danny leading the way in his Prius, Stiles’ jeep following close behind and the Sheriff in the squad car bringing up the rear. Danny drove and parked with extra care, partially because of his precious cargo and partially because of the hawk like stare being aimed at him from the passenger seat. This lady had basically confirmed that Mina’s parents didn’t make the grade but now she was focusing her attention on whether or not Danny was good enough. He’d never been so scared to fail in all his life.

Stiles parked and was standing by Mina’s car door by the time Danny climbed out. He looked like a bundle of nerves and excitement. He hovered while Danny unbuckled his little girl and carefully lifted her out of the car.

“Can I take her?” he asked.

Danny kind of wanted to be the one to introduce her to her new home, but he also had to be the one to unlock the door so he handed her over and locked up the car. The sheriff looked a little uncomfortable as he pulled up to the sight of his teenaged son with a child in his arms.

Danny took them inside explaining the background of how he came to get the apartment and his willingness to change anything that wasn’t up to spec. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, ignoring Mrs Thicket’s judgements in preference for the little girl in Stiles’ arms. She was more interested in playing with Stiles’ shirt but then again to her this was just another room. She didn’t know it was hers yet.

 _“Hey Cutie?”_ he waved to get her attention and signed as he spoke, _“This is where you live now. You can stay here with me. Okay?”_

Mina just watched them all blankly. He wasn’t sure if it was a lack of understanding of the words themselves or the idea that she had a new home. Either way it wasn’t going to register with her too easily. Stiles walked through the threshold and put her down on the rug in front of the sofa. The rest of them followed her in and Danny closed the door behind them.

He put her bag of filthy clothes down on the coffee table and couched down in front of her.

 _“This place is for you. Do you want to have a look? We can go see your room.”_ Danny signed slowly. Mina’s little hand tightened its grip on Stiles’ leg and she suddenly looked upset, “Uh, did I say something wrong?” Danny looked up at the others.

“Children who get in trouble a lot tend to get sent to their room a lot. That’s probably one of the most common things that was signed to her and it was probably done in anger.” The sheriff explained quietly. 

Danny could feel the horror settling in his gut. How in the hell could anyone be so mean to such a precious little girl? Stiles knelt down beside them and tried to fix it.

“We have a special place just for you. We can play there if you want. Want to see it?”

She still looked out of place but she put her hand in his and moved with him when he started to move. She only took two steps before she turned around and held out her free hand to Danny. Winning an Olympic medal would be nothing in comparison to how good he felt when she did that. He had to hunch over to reach her hand but he was happy to walk awkwardly beside her. 

She hesitated at the doorway to the room so Danny went in ahead of her, pulled out the bottom box from the plastic set of drawers and dumped all the blocks it contained on the frog rug then sat down and held out a block for her. Once she realised she wasn’t going to be in the room by herself she was happy to come forward and sit beside him, side leaning heavily on Danny’s knee as she reached for blocks and started to stack them. Stiles moved forward to join them but was stopped before he’d even taken two steps.

“Actually, Mr Stilinski, perhaps you could show me around the apartment for the assessment while your partner gets Mina settled.”

Stiles looked disappointed at not being able to play and the sheriff looked unsettled at his son being referred to as Danny’s partner but no one said anything. Stiles just started the tour with where they were. Explaining what Mina’s room held and that they only had two outfits for her so far because they wanted to take her shopping and let her pick out her own clothes (and because neither of them had any idea when it came to children’s sizes). 

Danny watched as Stiles led the adults out of the room and around the apartment. Danny helped re-build a fallen stack of blue blocks as he absently listened to them. Stiles knew as much as Danny about what was in the apartment. But he also knew more when it came to the facilities and utilities. When it came down to it, everything that had been accomplished and set up in the last twenty-four hours had been done by Stiles. All Danny had to contribute was his debit card. 

He had a sudden overwhelming feeling that he had no idea what he was doing. He took a deep breath and kissed the strawberry curls beside him. There was no turning back. He just had to pray to whatever deity willing to listen that Stiles didn’t abandon him because, crazy as it seemed, Stiles was the one that was holding all this together.

Eventually they rounded back to Mina’s room and Danny was asked to come to the table to officially sign the paperwork, including Mina’s official name change. A phone call had come through during the apartment inspection to say that the parents had voluntarily forfeited their rights to the child and they could skip right to adoption if they wished. Danny took the information in with both absolute glee and absolute disgust that they would so easily give her up. He moved into the main area, all the other 'grown ups’ following him out to witness the signatures. He got through the first two forms before tiny hands grabbed at his leg and he found himself staring down at his little girl. He pulled her up into his lap and continued signing things. She wanted the papers too but Stiles distracted her with the little teddy from her bed and he kept going, learning how to get things done with a wiggly child in his arms. 

Danny came to the last form and hesitated. He already knew he wanted to give her his name but then he realised that Stiles was a part of this and in a few months he’d be filling out paperwork for shared guardianship too. 

“Ah, Stiles?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re definitely doing this too right? After your birthday.”

“Yeah man. You promised.”

“I know. I just, I was going to call her Mina Mahealani but she should have your name too right?”

“Really? You’re okay with that?”

“Yeah. So Mahealani-Stilinski or Stilinski-Mahealani?”

“Jeez that’s a long name. Especially for someone who has to spell it instead of saying it. Maybe it’s easier to squish them together?”

“What?”

“Like …Sti-lin-a-lani? Mahe-a-linski? Yeah, Mina Mahealinski. That would work right?”

“Are you serious? You want to name squish us like brangalina?”

“Well… I just thought it would be easier for her.”

“How can a straight boy be gayer than me?”

“He’s straight!?” the child services lady asked with total bafflement.

“Actually I’m Pan, it’s just never come up in conversation.” Stiles pointed out. Danny blinked then stole a look at the sheriff and noted the totally bewildered look on his face.

“Pansexual means being able to be attracted to anyone of any gender,” Danny quietly explained to the sheriff before getting lost in thought, “and explains why the drag queens like you so much." 

"Actually Ginger used to get pulled in for soliciting all the time so I spent a few years in middle school hanging out with her down at the station on Wednesday afternoons. She changed jobs a few years back so it had been a while and she was pretty excited to see me all grown up when I ran into her again. But, yeah, I guess being pan doesn’t hurt when hanging out in the gender flux community.”

“O-kay, so not a couple, just co-parenting. I’ll make a note. So, back on topic. If you fill out the name change form, I can actually get lunch near lunch time today.”

Right yes. Naming a child with a family name of both Danny and Stiles squished together. That didn’t feel like a marriage certificate or anything. And not two minutes after finding out that his straight boy crush wasn’t actually straight. Good yes. Today isn’t overwhelming at all. He finished the paperwork, watched the sheriff sign as a witness and shook the lady’s hand.

“Right well, I have to say it’s been lovely actually helping a child straight out of the gate. You boys give me hope in a very hopeless job. Thank you and look after that daughter of yours. I’ll see you at the spot inspections.”

And with that she was gone and Danny was a parent. He hid his face in daughter’s shoulder and tried to get a hold of his emotions. Sure a few wayward tears escaped but he mostly held it together. Stiles however didn’t even try to hold back, hugging the both of them with a very wet grin. Poor Mina was totally confused about what was going on.

The sheriff left not long after to get back to work. He promised to come back at six for what Stiles was calling 'their first family dinner’. Danny’s mum was coming too apparently. As the sheriff left Stiles silently signed to Mina, telling her to say goodbye to her 'grandpa’. She waved to the sheriff and he had waved back, completely oblivious to his new title. 

Stiles made them sandwiches for lunch and they ate sitting on the ground around the coffee table where Mina had been playing with crayons. She made it through a couple of her little triangle sandwiches before she fell asleep against Stiles’ side with the food still clutched in her hand. Stiles held her still while Danny did the best he could to clean all the PB&J off her face then picked her up gently and took her to her room. Stiles turned down the bed and helped tuck her back in. There was a silent agreement that they spend the next fifteen minutes or so just standing there watching over her.

Eventually they left the room, closing the door most of the way but not completely. Stiles disappeared down to his jeep and returned with a backpack and a pillow. Apparently he couldn’t sleep without *his* pillow. He dropped his bag by the couch and his pillow on it before settling in to watch the tiny TV that used to live on Danny’s bookshelf.

Danny dropped down beside him and prepared to watch a really crappy midday movie. But the thing was, today was huge and was going to change their lives forever. And really having a child together was a bigger commitment then getting married. Marriages can end, parenthood never does. He looked over at Stiles who was staring at the screen blankly. Honestly he looked kind of shell-shocked.

“We have a daughter.” Danny pointed out and Stiles turned to stare at him before a grin erupted on his face.

“Yeah we do,” Stiles agreed then launched himself at Danny, pulling him into a tight hug, "Thank you so much man.”

“Thank you,” Danny gave in and wrapped his arms around the small of Stiles’ back, “You did everything. Literally everything. I wouldn’t have gotten any of this sorted alone.”

“Dude I’m not old enough. No matter what I had done, she’d have still ended up in that group home if you hadn’t been just as crazy as me.”

“We have a little girl.” And that was it. Danny was done for as the tears started falling and his nose started running. Stiles didn’t judge he just started crying too and they sat there together, leaning into one another and crying happy, terrified tears.

~~~

Once Mina woke up the afternoon went quicker than Danny had expected. Something made him think that watching a child all day would be boring but it was adorable to watch her toddle around exploring totally innocuous things with fascination. She’d been completely taken with Stiles while he was making the lasagna for dinner, weaving around his feet and trying to pull things off the bench until Danny sat her down on the end of the counter and held her safe so she could watch what was happening. Maybe it would have been wiser to sit her down in front of a children’s show but they were both thrilled that she wanted to interact with them and loathe denying her.

Danny’s mother arrived early with a large salad, the sheriff turning up not long after with a baker’s bag full of fresh bread rolls. Danny felt like the only one that hadn’t contributed so he made sure to set the table while the 'grandparents’ cooed over the newest member of their families.

There was really only enough space at the table for four people but Danny tucked Mina’s high chair into one of the round corners so she could sit between her parents for their first family dinner.  
She was thrilled with the high chair, bouncing on the spot like she was trying to prove how tall she was.

The small talk was a little awkward at first with their families really only knowing each other in an 'our kids are in the same class’ kind of way, but they managed to keep things going. Stiles, for his part was signing as much as he knew how while he spoke. It meant putting his fork down all the time but he was trying to include Mina, even if she didn’t understand it yet.

“Why do you do that?” Danny’s mother questioned and Stiles launched into a full diatribe about the research he’d done online for developing a deaf child’s communication skills and explaining that a child won’t learn to talk unless they hear people talking so she won’t learn to sign unless she sees people signing. She’d been assessed while at the hospital and found to be underdeveloped in her communication skills.

Stiles was in the middle of some unnecessary explanation about a case study when his dad finally stopped him with the explanation that his dinner would go cold if it 'talked’ constantly. Stiles nodded and then turned to Mina to silently sign _'Grandpa’s smart’_ before he went back to his meal.

“What did you just tell her?” the Sheriff asked. Stiles shrugged and shoveled another bite of lasagna into his mouth.

 _“He just said 'Grandpa’s smart’.”_ Danny explained, signing along with the words.

“Grandpa?”

 

“Yep. He called you that this morning when he told her to say goodbye too.”

Stiles looked embarrassed but Danny was ignoring it in favour of watching the way the sheriff melted visibly.

“Grandpa?” he repeated and Stiles made a little affirmative noise despite his full mouth, “Does that make you 'Dad’?” Stiles choked and spluttered while Danny tried not to laugh outright. Mina just watched on mildly concerned but calmed by everyone else’s smiles. 

After dinner Ma went into a full lecture about toilet training and diapers. Danny tried his best not to be squeamish about the whole thing while he did the washing up. Stiles, the freak, actually sat there and took notes. At least the sheriff stayed out of it for the most part, preferring to sit on the rug with Mina and help her build a castle out of both the plastic and wooden block sets. He threw in his two cents worth here and there, but mostly he just played with Mina and kept her happy.

When he finished the washing up and his hands were still all pruny, Ma decided it was time they learned how to deal with bath time and the two teenagers were herded into the bathroom with their new daughter. His mum stood in the door way giving out instructions and the sheriff was just outside. Danny managed to get the water temperature right but then came the command to get Mina ready and both the boys looked at each other like they were about to do something wrong.

“Don’t make it weird boys. This is a perfectly normal thing that parents do at least once a day. If you make it weird, she’ll get embarrassed and grow up thinking she should be ashamed of her body. There is nothing sexual about a three year old so there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just wash your kid.” Was the sheriff’s advice and, really, it made a lot of sense. They were fine after that and just got the job done. 

She got washed, dried, diapered and pj’d and he’d never seen a child smile so much. Maybe it was just being clean again or maybe it was the attention. He found her looking up at them all the time like she was checking to see if they were watching and every time his eyes met hers she would smile like the planets had aligned. It was the sweetest thing on Earth and so heartbreaking that it was clearly something she was unused to.

“Family photo time.” Ma announced, pulling a camera out of her handbag.

“What? We’re all splashed and she’s in her pjs.” Danny pointed out. He hated when his mother got snap happy. 

“Nonsense. You’ll get used to looking like a mess when you have a child. This is a memento of your first night, you don’t have to frame it, you just have to own it. Now squish in nice and close with your little one.”

Danny did his best not to roll his eyes and scooped Mina up from the rug where she was trying to kick her socks off. Stiles signed at her to 'smile at grandma’ then moved in close to fit in the photo. 

Mina was a surprised by the flash. To be honest so was Danny. That thing was unusually bright. He looked away and tried to shield Mina’s eyes as his mother kept clicking. She must have taken about twenty photos in less than five seconds.

“Ma, stop, you’re blinding her. You’re blinding everyone.”

“Try this one instead.” The sheriff suggested as he held up his own camera and snapped a pic.

“Dad?” Stiles looked surprised.

“What? My kid got a kid. Why wouldn’t I want photos?”

Stiles got a sweet little embarrassed smile at that. To be honest, Danny was a little jealous of it. His dad had never been one for sharing feelings. Sure there were plenty of 'I love you, son’s but rarely with any real feeling behind them. It was just something they said because, that’s what you say.

“Here.” he said, passing Mina over into Stiles arms and going to take the camera from the sheriff. He waved the sheriff toward Stiles and despite the embarrassed flush on both Stilinskis, managed to get a damned nice family photo. His mother insisted on one of the Mahealani family as well, though he managed to convince her to use the sheriff’s camera instead of her contraption with the blinding light from hell.

Eventually, after countless goodbye hugs and kisses for the little one, their parents left and it was just Danny, Stiles and Mina.

“It’s already eight o’clock. That’s like midnight for toddlers. We should probably put her to bed.” Danny pointed out as he settled her more firmly against his chest and started rubbing circles on her back.

“How do we do that? I don’t think a lullaby is going to be much use and we don’t have any kid’s books yet. We definitely don’t have ones that we’re good enough to sign to her.”

“Okay, then… we’ll settle her like a baby; just rock her and rub her back,” Danny gave a little hand movement to show he was already doing this, “and when she starts to get sleepy, we tuck her in and maybe rub her back a little more until she drifts off.”

“Okay, yeah. I’ll turn on her night light so it’s sleepy dark but not scary. But you can’t rub her back when she’s tucked in; she has to sleep on her back to reduce the chance of suffocating on the pillow. I don’t know how accurate that threat is but I saw it on the internet and I don’t want to risk it.”

Stiles was now sort of flailing around with too much energy. Danny just made sure to face him so Mina wouldn’t see it.

“Just grab her bear and turn down the bed for me?”

 

“Yep, yes, sure.” Stiles darted forward, snatched the bear off the ground and rushed into Mina’s room. Danny followed along at a much slower pace. It was weird trying to rock a baby and walk slowly at the same time. He felt like he was partaking of some ridiculous old fashioned country dance. He swayed his way into her room though and then just stood by the bed rocking and rubbing her back.

“Is she looking sleepy?” he whispered. 

“Yeah, her eyes are closed. You should put her down before she’s too far gone.”

Danny did and her eyes shot open as her centre of gravity shifted but Danny smiled down at her and calmly tucked her in. Her eyes followed him, half lidded so he rubbed her tummy and kissed her forehead and just watched her. Stiles came around the other side of the bed and kissed her temple then ran his finger down her nose. Her eyes fluttered closed with each action until they stayed that way and her little face went slack with sleep. He kept rubbing her tummy for a while longer, just to be sure before Stiles guided him backwards out of the room.

They tried to stay up and be adults but by nine they both admitted that the day had been exhausting and decided to turn in for the night. Danny helped Stiles open up the sofa bed then ducked into the shower while Stiles was putting the sheets on. Stiles was sipping a glass of water when he got out so they said an awkward good night and Danny went into his room and shut the door on a truly amazing, exhausting, fantastic, terrifying day.

Danny woke up after only maybe three hours of sleep to a persistent tapping on his arm. He squinted through the dark to find Stiles standing over the bed with an upset child in his arms.

“Wha-?”

“I found her standing by the dining table freaking out. I don’t think she could find us. I would have just tucked her in with me but I don’t live here. If she’s going to get scared at night, she needs to learn to come to you.” Stiles looked pretty freaked out himself.

Danny sat up and took the offered child, hugging her and mumbling useless reassurances. She snuggled, then wiggled her way off his lap to tuck herself in beside him. Stiles smiled awkwardly, hesitated a moment then backed out of the room. But as soon as she realised he was leaving, Mina sat up and hit the mattress with her tiny fist. Stiles looked back at the sound and raised an eyebrow. She scowled at him and hit the bed again.

“Dude, I think she wants you to stay.”

“But…?”

“Most kids sleep between their parents when they’re freaked out. I always did.”

“Yeah but… we’re not…”

“Dude even if we were, we wouldn’t be with a toddler in the bed. So long as it isn’t completely going to wig you out, I’m fine with it. Just get in on her other side and go to sleep.”

“O-okay. I just. I have to get something.”

He dashed out of the room quickly and Mina looked devastated. Danny rubbed her back and pointed at the door. A moment later Stiles dashed back in with his pillow in his hand.

“You really can’t sleep without your pillow?”

“It’s not my pillow. It’s my mum’s. Haven’t slept without since her funeral.” Stiles mumbled.

“Oh,” and now Danny felt like an ass for teasing him, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t bug me about it, okay? I used to get a lot of panic attacks and the pillow helped. They’ve been coming back the past couple of years so, you know, whatever works, right?”

“Right.” He agreed as Stiles got in to the bed and lay down. Danny moved back to lie down as well, hand on Mina’s stomach to guide her down too.  
She looked outright thrilled to be between the both of them and Danny couldn’t help but curl up on his side so he could see her. He moved to rest his hand on her stomach only to find Stiles’ hand there instead.

“Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, I’ll just..”

Danny moved his hand wrapped it around Mina’s tiny fingers instead. It was awkward and embarrassing to be sharing a bed with Stiles Stilinski. Danny’s last thought before dropping back to sleep was that he really didn’t want to talk in his sleep and say something mortifying because there was no way he was not going to end up dreaming about his new little family.

~~~

The rest of the summer passed easily enough. Stiles spent basically every other night at the loft. Sometimes more. Every night Danny would be woken up by his night walker of a child so she could climb in bed with him at some point but every time Stiles was on the sofa bed, she would first detour to collect him and drag him along to family happy hour in Danny’s bed. After the first week or so, it just became normal routine and the awkward evaporated in preference for indulging their, admittedly, spoiled child.

Stiles took up a job working the morning shift at the local library to earn a little cash and still be home by the time Mina woke up from her midday nap.  
Danny increased his fee by 10% and gained three new clients to build sites for (which he worked on during naptime and while Stiles entertained her solo for a few hours each afternoon.)

As the summer heat would cool around dusk, they went out and just walked around the town with her every other day until she finally asked to go to the park. She looked nervous and clutched at either one of them the whole time until they left. But when they left and she realised she wasn’t going to be abandoned again, her smile lit up the whole damned neighbourhood. Stiles even managed to get a photo of that smile with the sunset in the background. Danny had it printed and framed then hung it on the wall by the dining table.

After that there were trips to the park at least once a week, usually after her appointment with the deaf equivalent of a speech therapist who was working on increasing the vocabulary of all three of them, mainly Mina though as she’d had so little exposure to direct communication before coming to live with the boys. 

Apparently she’d spent a lot of time at her day-care centre in her previous life so it could have been worse but the parents really dropped the ball at home so what she had learned really didn’t stick as well as it should have. The only hearing impaired friendly childcare in Beacon Hills had a requirement that the children meet a certain communication level before they could attend so they were working on getting her up to scratch before school started. She was getting there. 

The first few weeks saw her annoyed and a little frustrated but now that Stiles and Danny were able to sign at least half of what they said and made sure to do so whenever she was in the room weather they were talking to her or not, she was improving a hell of a lot. So much so that by the second last week of the holidays, she was allowed to attend half days to try and adjust to the new environment. 

Stiles would drop her off on the way to the library in the mornings and pick her up after nap time on his way back from work. Danny went with them in his own car for the first day and nearly had to be dragged out when it was time to leave her there. She seemed quite used to it and perfectly fine but Danny felt like his arm was being cut off. He went home and walked in aimless circles around the apartment until it was time to pick her up. He sent Stiles a message and went to pick her up two hours early just so he could sit on the couch with her during her midday nap. She was more than happy to lie down on his chest and drool away her dreams while he clung to her. Stiles teased him for it when he got home from work but then proceeded to carry Mina around on his hip for the rest of the day, signing one handed whenever he spoke.

They were just as bad as each other and Danny knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were not going to cope well when school restarted.


	3. Chapter 3

The first day back at school felt the same as usual other than the horrible weight in his chest at the knowledge that it would be nearly eight hours before he saw Mina again. That was the longest he’d been without her since the day he signed the adoption papers. At least Stiles had the occasional night back in his own house as a practice run for being without her for so long. Danny wasn’t sure if she had become his security blanket or he was thinking of himself as her security blanket either way, it was bad to be separated.

“Dude calm down. She’s like ten minutes down the road. You can visit her on your lunch period if you really need to.”

“She’d be asleep then.”

“Yeah but you’d still be in the same room as her.”

“You want to go see her at lunch, don’t you?”

“I love the kid too, you know.”

“Yeah but you sleep in your own house occasionally. You’ve got to be more used to being without her than I am.”

“Dan-o, I need sleeping pills to knock me out when she’s not around. It’s not healthy. I know we’ve been weaning ourselves off constant supervision, but maybe, you know, we should go a little slower. Or at least visit her at lunch or maybe just drop out of school and never leave her side ever again.”

“Okay, we are both being ridiculous. We’ll just ring the centre at lunch and make sure she’s doing okay then act like mature adults for the rest of the day. Deal?”

“Deal." Stiles sulked but agreed, slumping his way into the building.

Scott bounded up and Danny veered off on his own path, leaving the besties to catch up while he went off to find his own little group of friends. Admittedly none of his friends were really close enough to know that he’d adopted a child over the holidays. Lydia knew and Jackson had replied to his email with a scandalous amount of exclamation points. Jackson got it though and somehow, through talking it over on endless emails and eventually multiple hour skype calls, it actually seemed to be helping Jackson come to terms with his own adoption. After all his parents had no choice about what happened and they certainly didn’t abandon him in a park for wild animals to deal with. 

~~~

He found Lydia easily partially because her hair was easy to spot but also because he was so honed in on finding the person she was talking to that he didn’t even realise who it was until he was almost in front of them.

“Jackson!?”

“Long time no see, Danny.” He replied with a smug grin.

“What the hell, dude. You didn’t tell me you were coming back. How long have you been here? How long are you staying?”

“Well, somebody missed me,” Jackson said as he pulled a sour face at Lydia and pulled Danny into a hug, “It’s called a surprise; hopefully a good one. I figured my parents might want me back for a while before I leave for college and, you know, I figured you might need like a god father or a guard dog or something for this kid of yours.”

Danny was thrilled to have his best friend back. He was pretty sure Mrs Whittemore was at home crying tears of joy right now. They caught up through home room but Maths was the only subject they had together for Mondays and that wasn’t until last period. Strangely Danny found himself thinking that he couldn’t wait to tell Stiles the news. Sure Stiles and Jackson weren’t exactly great friends but Jackson was a big deal to Danny so, naturally he wanted to share the news with Stiles.

Chemistry and Economics were the only classes that Danny had with Stiles this year. It was weird to think that somewhere in this building Stiles was flailing about in his usual manner and Danny wasn’t there to witness it. He’d gotten so used to being around the hyper little weirdo that he sort of missed him when they were apart.

When third period came around, he got there early and sat in Coach’s classroom waiting for the rest of the students to arrive. It took everything he had not to bounce out his seat when Stiles finally walked in. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, he just felt like they’d spent too long apart. Stiles slipped into the seat beside him. Usually Scott sat beside him and Stiles sat behind Scott but it looked like they were swapping this year. Something about that calmed Danny’s nerves.

“Jackson’s back.” Danny leant over and announced as the guys sat down. Partially because it was important news but mostly just because he wanted to say something.

“What? Like here at school? When did that happen?”

“He got in on Friday. I knew nothing until I saw him this morning. Total surprise.“ Danny explained and Scott leaned forward to start asking questions but that was the moment Coach started class. Questions would have to wait.

"Alright. Settle yourselves. For those of you who read the lesson plans for this year, please note that there will be a change to it. Due to some recent developments it we’ve decided that this class would benefit from beginning with the second term plan,” a groan went up from a few students but honestly, Danny hadn’t thought to do any reading before school started back up, “For those of you who didn’t bother reading the syllabus, that means we’re starting out with household economics this term. You will pair off and each pair will be given one of these adorable bags of flour to raise together. One lucky team will be given twins. You will be responsible for the care of this flour baby. You will also be responsible for balancing the household budget. Each of you will take on a career that is reasonably within your grasp. You will research it and find the average amount of working hours and income it will produce then you and your partner will figure out how much your combined lifestyle will cost including student loans for the career you have chosen, the amount of childcare required for your respective careers and you will figure out how you will be able to continue with this budget until your child reaches college age and you can provide the money for higher education for your offspring. If you cannot afford higher education for your flour child, you will need to explain what effect this will have on your child’s future. Let me be perfectly clear; this is not the ‘Don’t break the egg baby and you pass’ assignment you were told to do in middle school. This is interactive economics.”  
The entire class looked bummed out except for the few that were too busy silently agreeing to be partners to have really listened to Finstock.

“Now as I said, one lucky partnership is going to get twins. That is because there is one partnership here for which this is not just an assignment. I’m told one of my students adopted a child in need over the summer break and another has stepped into the secondary parent role with plans to add himself into the adoption when he’s old enough,” Danny went a little red and tried not to look at Stiles too obviously as the class started whispering furiously, "Now personally I think you’re both too young for this but I understand that there were extenuating circumstances. So the least we can do is help you sort yourselves out for the mess you’ve gotten into. That couple’s flour baby will become the twin because our new parents have been given permission to bring their child to school with them over the next fortnight to lessen your cost of childcare while the project is in play.”

Danny froze at that and let it sink in. They were going to let them bring Mina to high school with them. Sure childcare wasn’t cheap but that was kind of huge. It was probably going to make his co-dependence on the little one even worse but at this point he was so far gone he really didn’t care. He got his baby back.  
Finstock hefted the crate of flour onto the desk and held out a bunch of sticks. 

“Alright first pair come on up to the maternity ward,” he instructed then blocked Greenburg’s path, making him pluck one of the sticks, “Not twins. Congratulations, take a child.”

Danny watched as his classmates all paired off and moved up to take their kids. Soon everyone was going to know that he and Stiles were the ones with the real live child.

“Hey, so I guess we’re partners, right?” Stiles muttered in his ear, practically hanging off his desk.

“Obviously. You think we should bring her tomorrow? I mean, it might be a bit daunting for her to be stared at by and whole school of teenagers.”

“Are you kidding? Mina loves attention. We should at least try it out. If she’s not okay with it we can drop her off during lunch break but I think the coach might be trying to help here. Not just with the economic side of things but I mean, people aren’t going to understand unless it’s shoved in their faces. This project might make them less judgmental about what we’re doing.”

“Okay. We have to talk to her about it tonight. Together though, no explaining it while I’m at lacrosse. If she’s okay with it, I will be too.”  
Stiles nodded to himself then congratulated Scott on his and Kira’s beautiful glutinous baby.

“Okay, everyone who needs a baby has a baby. Just one pair left." The coach announced then strode over and opened the door.  
Sheriff Stilinski stepped in then with Mina curiously peeking out from behind his legs. Stiles was out of his seat and so eager to get to her that he slid along the linoleum on his knees like a rock star, gliding to a halt in front of her and getting a giant hug for his troubles. 

The class erupted into gossip, everyone trying to figure out who might be Stiles’ partner or just commenting on the idea of Stiles being a dad. Stiles ignored the lot of them focusing solely on picking her up and showing her the classroom with a broad hand gesture. He started to sign an explanation but she wasn’t paying attention. Mina had just seen Danny. They locked eyes and Danny waved hello. Mina sucked in a breath and bounced, trying to wiggle her way back to the ground. Stiles put her down and watched as she ran between the desks and straight to her other dad.

Danny picked her up carefully and gave her a strong hug before sitting her down on the desk in front of him so they had room to sign to one another.

 _"This is a surprise.”_ he told her. She smiled with her tongue poking out and just pointed at the sheriff.

“Yeah,” Stiles cut in from the front of the room before sliding suspicious eyes to his father, “We might need to have words with the child care centre about their procedures for releasing her to non-parents.”

“Calm down Stiles. I’m on her approved contacts list and the town sheriff. They gave me a forty minute head start but if they don’t get a phone call from one of you soon, they’ll raise the alarm.”

Stiles didn’t look impressed but Danny could see their reasoning. Danny went back to talking with his daughter, asking if she wanted to stay at big kid school for the rest of the day or if she wanted to go back to the center for nap time. Stiles let out a bark of laughter at the exaggerated sign for 'stay’ and the scowl that said she resented even being asked. The sheriff bought in her stroller and her bag, propping them up beside Stiles’ desk before saying his goodbyes to Mina, shaking the coach’s hand and heading out.

~~~

Class was actually pretty fun. No work got done. They introduced Mina to the other students teaching the whole class the sign for Mina’s name, the sign for Dad/dy (Danny) and the sign for Pop (Stiles). After that they tried to explain to Mina that the other people in the class were all going to treat their new bags of flour like dolls for a while. Mina decided that high school was silly and settled in on Stiles’ lap to draw a picture while he and Danny pretended to talk about the outline of their assignment while actually playing tic-tac-toe and discussing Jackson’s return.

The stares of the other students were not even subtle but at least Stiles was right about it not bothering Mina. She had asked why everyone was looking at her but they explained that it was very different for a three year old to be in high school and they were just curious. She was fine after that. Happy to do her drawings and occasionally run through the rows of desks waving hello to all the fake flour babies like they were her dolls too.

~~~

The lunch room was where things got weird. Sure Coach had explained things to their class but no one had said anything to the rest of the school so having one of the few openly gay seniors walk in with a stroller and a tiny Tangled brand back pack on his shoulder probably looked insane.

He didn’t see who it was but someone made a comment about a faggot stealing children. Danny ignored them and followed Stiles to a table. He had a packed lunch that Stiles had actually made for him. Apparently if he was going to be making Mina’s lunches it only made sense to make lunches for the 'grownups’ while he was at it. 

Danny looked over at Stiles and the determined set of his jaw. People were staring, and that Stiles could probably deal with, but they were talking too and not all of it was whispers. There were comments about the gay guy cracking and starting to play house like some stupid little princess and other pieces of nonsense like it. From all anyone could tell, Mina was just Danny’s but he knew that Stiles would be preparing for when they realised she was his too.

“Maybe we should go sit outside. Let her get some sun." He suggested.

"Nah man. They have to get used to her eventually. At least she can’t hear them." Stiles pointed out and sat down.

He put his lunch on the table then pulled Mina’s stroller closer to unbuckle her and sit her on a couple of textbooks he’d stacked on the chair in lieu of a booster seat.

"Hey Danny.”

He turned around as he was setting his lunch down on the other side of Mina. 

“Brian." The last thing he needed was more manipulative bull from his ex.

"You babysitting during school hours or something?" He asked with a wrinkled nose in Mina’s direction.

"No, actually we adopted her. Since they’re doing the flour baby thing in economics we get to bring her to school for the next couple of weeks instead of having to leave her at day care." Danny sat down and started unzipping Mina’s bag to get out her lunch.

"We?” Brian asked, now looming over Danny’s shoulder.

Stiles raised his hand at that and waved. Taking the container of carrot sticks from Danny with his other hand to offer to their daughter.

“Holy shit! You actually bagged a straight dude. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“We’re not a couple and it’s none of your business.” Danny explained trying not to look up. He smiled at Mina instead and unwrapped her cookie. She signed thank you and asked who Daddy was talking too. Danny wasn’t so sure what to say to that. He didn’t want to confuse her but he didn’t want her to trust Brian either. Danny had a horrible feeling that Brian would hide her somewhere just to make him feel like he couldn’t parent to save himself.

 _'It’s just another student. We’re not really friends with him though.’_ Stiles signed and then took a bite of his own carrot sticks.

“Just leave us alone please Brian. I want her to get though lunch so we can put her to sleep before the next class.”

“She’s not going to sleep in here. It sounds like a zoo.”

“She’s deaf, and you were asked to leave us alone." Stiles pointed out. Honestly he looked like he was about to get up and move Brian away by force any second. 

"She’s deaf? Dude I don’t get why you would want to get a kid let alone a deaf one. What they hell were you thinking?”

“We were thinking she needed parents since the ones she was born with literally left her for the wolves. Now we’ve told to leave twice so LEAVE!" Stiles was on his feet, face blotchy and voice raised. The whole cafeteria had gone quiet.

"Stiles sit down before you freak her out. Brian, go away." Danny commanded and then ignored them both in favour of asking Mina about her lunch. 

Brian backed off and Stiles sat down but no one went back to their lunch. The whole student body seemed to just sit there and watch Danny signing to a three year old. Stiles realised that she was going to notice and get uncomfortable soon, so he set about distracting her. Jackson arrived a few minutes later and it probably really helped that his return to the school would take over some of the rumour mill and that his status in the school might get people to shut up as they noticed how much effort he put in to trying to talk to her and they all remembered that Jackson himself was adopted.

They got her through lunch then left her stuff with their friends while they took her to the bathroom. Stiles checked that there were no psychologically damaging sights in there before he waved them through. She used the toilet then they switched her tiny knickers for a pull up diaper. Toilet training was fine while she was awake but nap time still required a diaper. You can only achieve so much in one summer. 

They bought her back out to a few weird stares but hey, a little girl in the boy’s toilets was never going to sit comfortably with most people. They both ignored it in favour of carrying her back to the table to sit down and try and get her to sleep. She stayed in Danny’s arms but she couldn’t get comfortable and at this rate she was going to be a teary grump by the time he had to go to English class. 

"Pass her over. I have a trick.” Stiles declared. Danny didn’t quite believe that but he asked if she wanted to go to her Pops and she nodded so he passed her over.

Stiles stood up and paced back and forth with her little head tucked under his chin. She seemed to relax a lot quicker as Stiles moved about. Sometimes Danny couldn’t help but wonder if Stiles’ overly physical form of expression made him more communicative to her. He didn’t just say things with words; he used his whole body to get points across. Right now he was comforting her with a hug and rubbing her back same as Danny had been but he was moving too. Not to mention standing up in a crowd that showed everyone what he was doing without any sort of embarrassment of self-awareness. 

“Is standing the trick?”

“No dude, humming. She likes it when you hum.”

“What?”

“It’s like vibrations or something. Like a cat purring. She snuggles when I hum." Stiles went back to pacing and rubbing her back and Danny actually noticed the way Stiles kept his mouth closed except for the occasional inhalation and, maybe he couldn’t hear it over the mess of sound in the cafeteria, but he was clearly humming now that Danny knew what he was looking for.

"Uh, Danny, you’re kind of staring and the girls are kind of melting.” Jackson faux whispered across the table.

“What?”

“You’re staring at Stiles and the girls all look like they’re creating some tragic unrequited love back story for you. You might want to stick to staring at the kid when she’s NOT in Stiles’ arms.”  
`  
Danny looked around and most of the female students were either staring wistfully at Stiles or sadly at him. 

“Holy shit! What is happening?”

“Babies make girls sappy. You’re kind of giving off a tragic love story vibe.” Lydia shrugged.

“I just wanted to know how he was getting her to sleep so easily.”

Danny deliberately turned away from Stiles and took the chance to finish his sandwich. Not everyone inhaled their food the way Stiles did and Danny didn’t want to miss out on his lunch.

Stiles eventually wandered back and nudged Danny’s shoulder. He turned around and realised their girl was fast asleep. He helped manoeuvre the stroller and hold it in place as Stiles gently put her down and strapped her in. The weather was still warm enough that she would be fine as she was but Stiles pulled out a blanket and draped it over the top of the stroller to block out some of the light for her.

He sat back down at the table and the last five minutes of lunch was fairly normal other than the stroller with the sleeping toddler tucked between them.

~~~

She stayed with Danny and slept through English then got transferred to Stiles who had a spare while he had music class. She stayed with Stiles for the rest of the afternoon and even though he knew they were both fine. It still felt completely weird to be without her. Without Stiles too.

After school Danny had lacrosse practice. Stiles had quit the team this year. His reasoning being that they would need a babysitter for training and games if they both played and Danny needed it for his college applications. Stiles was planning on the Beacon County Police Academy and they weren’t as interested in extracurricular activities.

The thing was though; Danny didn’t really want to play lacrosse. He felt bad about causing Stiles to give it up. And it’s not like he didn’t do cross country and swim team in the off season. They could have switched off season to season. But Stiles had been determined that Danny was the better player and Coach would be happier keeping Danny than keeping Stiles.

Danny walked out of the locker room and onto the field with Jackson running ahead, pumped to get back to his favourite sport. Scott walked beside Danny with a quietly angry stride. He got that lacrosse was one of the few normal things that Scott and Stiles could still do together and that Danny had ruined that for them. He got that Scott had every right to be a little pissy but what he really didn’t need right now was an angry werewolf to deal with on a lacrosse field.

He was feeling a little sour with himself and in no way in the mood to play when he realised that there were new fans in the bleachers. Scott, Kira, and Isaac waved as they went past but Danny stopped in his tracks. There was his little girl and her Pops, sitting on the bleachers waiting. He went over and said hello.  
Mina signed _'Good luck Daddy’_ and kissed him on the nose.

“You taught her how to say good luck?”

“Of course. A knight cannot win without the favour of his lady.”

Danny snorted back laughter, thanked his daughter for the luck and joined the other players on the field, mood much improved. 

Stiles and Mina stayed for the whole practice though she got bored easily and took to running around on the grass with Stiles playing tickle chasey and making a mess with the water fountain on the far side of the bleachers but once practice was over and Danny had washed up, he came back out to find them waiting for him so they could all go home together. 

He had never thought that having someone to go home to would be so important. He had certainly never thought how nice it would be to have someone to go home with. 

Brian’s stupid opinions be damned. This was the best decision he had ever made. 

They all piled in his Prius - the agreement being that the Prius was safer and would be used instead of the Jeep wherever possible if Mina was going to be in the car with them - and headed home where Stiles was planning on making burritos for dinner and talking about the artwork Mina made for the fridge during their free period.


	4. Chapter 4

The evening passed easily. Burritos being ideal for dinner because they could pick them up and eat without having to take their eyes of Mina’s endless signing as she told them both all about her day. She knew they had both been with her but as most children do, she needed to tell them anyway. A large portion of her signing seemed to be gibberish. It wasn’t unusual for a child her age to make up words and the communications specialist had told them it was normal but it had never been quite as obvious as it was today. 

To be honest this was the first real ‘conversation’ that she’d had. Before this it was just little sentences here and there but right now she was excited enough to prattle on and they were more than happy to let her, mumbling to one another whenever they picked up a sign or sentence that they recognised. Occasionally Danny would hold up her burrito and she would take a bite then continue signing as she ate. It was totally adorable. From what he could tell she was in awe of the 'pretty lady’ (Lydia, whose name didn’t really have a meaning so Mina just used the sign for pretty) and wanted a flour doll of her own. She’s pretty sure she saw one in the pantry but she understands that it’s a 'cooking’ doll not a playing doll.

She kept telling them about her day right up until she fell asleep in the bath. It had been a very overstimulating day for her. Danny and Stiles did their best to finish her bath, dry her off and get her to bed without waking her back up.

“We have got to take her to Disneyland." Stiles declared once she was tucked in.

"Disney?”

“Yeah. Think how much fun she’d have. We’ll show her all the movies and then when she’s got a favourite that she loves so much that it drives us crazy, we’ll take her to meet the characters. She’ll be so excited.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay, but not for her birthday or Christmas. I want to start small and make them a little better each year. That way she’ll never get disappointed and really, she’s not going to be expecting too much yet.”

Stiles looked at him then and nodded with a grin. Somehow looking like he was proud of Danny for thinking of that. It was such a little thing but it made him feel like a better parent to have Stiles’ approval.

They spent the rest of the evening doing homework with the television on in the background. Danny had wanted to work on their economics assignment but Stiles said he had to check with his family solicitor first. Apparently there was some sort of inheritance from his mother that he got when he turned eighteen and that would have to be factored in so there was not point getting too carried away until they had the numbers for that. Stiles figured it was probably some personal effects that were already in his dad’s care, but just in case there was any money, they should wait.

They went to bed fairly early, expecting tomorrow to be more exhausting than today. Danny didn’t sleep very well. He was used to being woken up by 11.30pm by Mina climbing into bed with him but it was after midnight and there was still no sign of her. While it was a good thing that she was learning to sleep through the night without him, it didn’t change the fact that he woke up constantly, expecting his little girl to need him.

At 2am he heard a horrible scream and he was out of the bed without a second thought. It was Stiles, laying on the sofa bed and screaming blue murder. His arm was extended like he was trying to reach someone but he was clearly still asleep. Danny instinctively grabbed at Stiles’ reaching hand and knelt on the edge of the mattress. 

“Stiles! Stiles wake up!”

Stiles continued to yell but he grabbed at Danny’s hand, pulling him closer and arching up off the bed to try and get to him. Danny pulled him up into a hug, holding him tight and begging him to wake up. He just kept repeating that it was okay and he was safe and that he just needed to wake up. Eventually it worked and Stiles went still before he finally woke up and stiffened in Danny’s hold.

“Uh, Danny?”

“You had a nightmare. You were screaming like a mad man. I just, I was trying to wake you up but you wouldn’t listen." Danny didn’t realise how panicked he was until he knew Stiles was safe.

There was a banging at the door and they both froze. Stiles looked like a rabbit caught by prey.

"Stiles?!” Came a muffled yell through the door.

“It’s okay Derek. Just a night terror. Everyone’s fine.” Stiles yelled back.

“I don’t believe you Stiles. Open the door.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and untangled himself from Danny’s grasp. His shaking limbs landed him on the floor as soon as he stood up but he jumped back up and hurried to the door. Danny just sat there watching as Derek stalked into the apartment and checked each room. He even jumped over the kid gate and checked upstairs. When he was satisfied that the place was safe he looked them both over, slapped a reassuring hand on Stiles shoulder, and stalked back out of the apartment.

Stiles apologised for the disruption and locked up in Derek’s wake.

“Does that happen a lot?" Danny asked as Stiles walked back toward the sofa bed.

"Derek being overprotective? Yeah, but like I said, the security in this building is awesome. Nothing beats neighbours that actually pay attention.”

“I meant the night terrors?” Danny asked cautiously.

“I, uh, I mean yeah. Kind of. Just when I sleep alone though. Mina kind of keeps it at bay.” He rubbed the back of his neck and ducked his head in embarrassment.

“So don’t sleep on the couch if it’s going to do that to you. Come on." Danny offered, standing and holding out a hand to the awkward teenager before him.

"W-what?”

“Come to bed with me. You sleep there most of the time anyway and I’m so used to Mina that I’m having trouble sleeping alone too. We may as well help each other out.”

“But…”

“What? It’s not like we haven’t done this a bunch of times already.”

“Yeah but Mina was there.”

“So?” Danny was trying so hard to be a grown up about this. 

Stiles made a weird sound a flailed around a little like he was trying to find an excuse he could actually voice. Danny snatched up Stiles’ pillow and walked past him into the bedroom. He was done with discussing this. Regardless of what he had to say on the matter, Danny needed to look after Stiles. They were family and he wasn’t going to let him suffer like that.

Stiles quietly followed him into the room and shut the door three quarters of the way like Danny always did so Mina could get in without having to reach for the door knob. Danny went to the far side of the bed, Stiles’ side, and put the pillow down. He turned down the sheets and waited for Stiles to move. 

It took a couple of awkward jerky movements but Stiles finally came forward and climbed into the bed. Danny reached over him and pulled the blankets up. That was where he hesitated. He was just going to tuck Stiles in then get on his side of the bed but from there they would end up awkwardly aware of one another and trying not to touch without the barrier of their daughter between them. Danny didn’t need any more awkward tonight. He was too tired and he knew that Stiles was going to need more than that too so he figured he’d skip straight past awkward and just get confident about this whole situation.

Danny still had the corner of the sheet in his hand so he lifted it again and slid into the bed after Stiles, pushing him further into the centre of the bed and then pulling him flush against him until Stiles was cradled in his arms.

“Danny? W-why are we spooning?”

“Just shut up and let me look after you, okay?”

“I … yeah, okay.” Stiles finally gave in, sinking back into Danny’s warmth and wrapping the arm Danny had thrown over him up between both his hands.

Stiles slid off to sleep pretty quickly after that. Rolling back to lean heavily against Danny’s chest. Danny lay awake for longer, holding Stiles protectively and wondering at the source of his night terrors. He’d never seen anyone so scared. Not even when Jackson had explained the whole, lizard creature with no self-control thing. Seriously; Jackson being mind controlled into killing people en masse was less scared than Stiles had been because of a nightmare. That was some scary shit. He’d been assured by Jackson that Stiles was still very much a human. One of the few left in their social circle but clearly that didn’t come without a price. Danny decided he was going to help Stiles get out of his little supernatural club. He didn’t want Stiles in that kind of danger and he sure as hell didn’t want to fall on Mina either.

Danny finally fell asleep with his nose pressed tightly into Stiles’ hair, scared to death that he was going to lose the only thing keeping this family together because he was overly loyal to a bunch of supernatural creatures.

~~~

Morning came far too early. Danny could feel Mina jumping on the far side of the bed and he cracked an eye open to peer over at her. She was sitting on the far corner of the mattress and bouncing happily, face lit up like it was Christmas. Danny moved to wave at her and realised his hand was caught. He looked down at Stiles, still safely tucked up against him and in firm possession of Danny’s hand.

Danny tried to hide his smile against Stiles’ shoulder but Mina saw it and let out a delighted giggle, crawling forward to land heavily on them both and join in the cuddling. Stiles woke at the impact and looked around confused. He let go of Danny’s hand and Danny immediately drew his arm back to wrangle the little girl currently kneeling on his ribs.

“Sorry man." Stiles apologised, pulling himself forward and out of Danny’s grasp.

"What for?” Danny asked as he rolled onto his back and settled Mina on his stomach, smiling up at her.

“Well, you know. The whole,” Stiles gestured awkwardly at the lounge room and then at the pair of them, "everything.”

“Don’t apologise dude. You don’t have to sleep out there. Just come in here instead of waiting for Mina to move you. This is your home too you know.”

“Uh, no. It’s your home. You pay the whole of the rent.”

“So? You live here same as the rest of us. You’re allowed to sleep in the bed.”

“With you?”

“Yeah." Danny was doing the best he could to not make a big deal out of this. He wanted Stiles to be okay. It didn’t hurt that he really liked being able to hold him close and breathe into his hair while he slept but mostly, he just wanted Stiles to be okay.

"I… uh. Thanks man. I just um… yeah. Thanks." Stiles rolled toward him and kissed Mina’s cheek before scooting across the unoccupied side of the bed to get up and start breakfast.

Danny looked up at Mina and smiled at her. Sure he’d had nowhere near enough sleep to feel like he could battle school but what sleep he had had was damned good. The idea of having Stiles in his arms every night was a nice one.

Over breakfast Danny and Stiles both praised Mina for sleeping the whole night in her own bed but also made sure she knew she was allowed to come sleep in Daddy’s room whenever she wanted even if it wasn’t every night. Mina smiled and told them okay then moved straight on to asking about what they were doing for the day. 

School schedules were pulled out and the boys figured out which classes would and would not be okay with a toddler in the room. They took chemistry together and neither was okay with the idea of her in a room full of chemicals so they decided to try and get one of their friends to cover that period but other than that, they had it all covered.

Mina happily helped pack up her school bag and insisted on wearing a dress remarkably similar to what Lydia had been wearing the day before. 

Once they got to school they found it was a hectic maze of erratically moving teenagers. Same as it was every morning but today Stiles and Danny had to navigate it with a three year old. They agreed carrying her would be far easier than trying to get through with a stroller and carefully made their way through the crowds.

Jackson found them early and helped push the crowds out of the way ahead of them. They checked with him and he had HPE during their chemistry class so he was out for the baby sitting. Not to mention the sign language thing was still pretty new to him and he really didn’t have the ability to communicate with her properly yet. Lydia was in their class with them too so that wasn’t an option. In the end it was Scott who volunteered to take her along to his history class.

Danny wasn’t thrilled about Scott as a babysitter. Something about him just seemed far too harebrained for such a responsibility. After all this was the guy that was supposed to be keeping Stiles safe and instead was leaving him to deal with things that caused night terrors. No Danny didn’t want Scott as a baby sitter. But he didn’t feel like he could say that either. How to you tell the other father of your child that you don’t trust his best friend with your kid? He didn’t know how he could say it without sounding like a douchebag so he kept his mouth shut and started writing out a list of things that Scott needed to know so he could hand it over along with his child at the start of second period.

The day passed easily. Scott had actually managed to do alright with her during second period but he also seemed to think that qualified him for some sort of medal and Danny was in no mood to accommodate his ridiculous ego. He just said thank you and took his child back. The lack of enthusiasm seemed to result in the cold shoulder over lunch but Danny wasn’t really worried about it. Scott McCall was going to have to step up and do a better job with all of his pack if he wanted praise from Danny. The day also included more stupid comments from stupid teenagers that believed their thought process was so much more important than others that they needed to share it with Danny and Stiles; telling them why parenthood was a horrible idea or how much they were going to screw up 'that kid’. They decided to take lunch outside to avoid some of them, letting Mina wear herself out running around in the sun before they settled her down for her nap so she could sleep through Stiles’ math class. 

At the end of the day Danny dropped Stiles off at his solicitor’s office and walked Mina to a nearby playground while they waited for the meeting to finish. Mina played happily on the swings and ran off some of her excess energy. Happy to be out and playing instead of cooped up in a classroom all day.

Stiles came out of the office and stumbled to the park, sitting heavily on the bench. Danny wondered over and sat beside him while Mina repeatedly used the slide.

"You okay?”

“Uh. Yeah. Just wasn’t expecting that.”

“Expecting what exactly?”

“Um. My mum had a large life insurance policy. Apparently it’s standard for the spouse of a law enforcement officer. It was made out to my name instead of Dad’s. I own half the family house and have over a million dollars of life insurance that has been sitting in a trust building interest for nine years. I mean, Dad took out a mortgage to pay off Mum’s medical bills after she passed. We’ve been struggling for years and there was all this money just sitting there that he couldn’t touch because our solicitor is an idiot. Why the hell would you put that in your kid’s name? I just… Dad’s been trying so hard for all these years and …” Stiles tapered off, staring at the grass with confusion all over his face.

"So… you have money. I know it doesn’t fix the past but maybe you could sign half of it over to him when you get it. Half a million should get him out of debt and make things easier in the future right?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I mean it’s his money too. Family money. Shit Danny, I own half the house. Do you think Dad would be cool if we all moved in? Mina could have an actual backyard. I could fix up my old tree house for her. I don’t want to make Dad buy out my half and I really don’t want to push him out of his home but I can’t ignore this. We could move in with him and set ourselves up to live rent free. Do you have any idea what that would mean for us? For her?" Stiles was staring at Mina now, hope blazing in his eyes. 

"I’d like that. A proper family home for her. But if your Dad’s not comfortable with that, that’s okay too. I don’t want to make him feel pushed out in his own home either." Danny pointed out.

"Dude it’s a four bedroom house. He always says it’s too big for just us two. My mum’s dad built it himself. They were planning a big family but there were complications when they had mum and they couldn’t have any more children after that. It’s about time the house got filled properly. I… I’m going to give my dad a call when I get home. Talk to him about how he’d feel with us all there. You’re right though. I’ll be careful not to make him uncomfortable.”

Danny nodded and tried to take it all in. He’d been worried that his job wouldn’t be sustainable with his college work load once it started but the idea of not having to pay rent took so much of the burden off him. 

“Yeah. Talk to him. Figure out what you two want to do and take your time about it. We can pick a possibility and work with that for the economics assignment but that doesn’t have to be the final decision. Take as much time as you need to sort this out so it works for both of you.”

By the time they got home, Stiles was still in shock. Mina looked worried as she side-eyed her Pops and then turned her crinkled little brow to Danny. He sent her reassuring smiles and tried to distract her with choosing pizzas to order for dinner. 

Stiles went upstairs to the study area to call his dad and Danny did the best he could not to listen in. He sort of hated himself for how relieved he was to find out stiles had money. It was such a weight off his mind to know that Stiles wouldn’t need student loans and neither of them would have to worry about paying rent. Sure there were still utilities and insurance and what not but still, it was a lot less to budget for. It made their whole future more accessible. The problem was that he was banking on benefiting from Stiles’ money and it made him feel like a gold digger.

Stiles was still upstairs on the phone when the pizza arrived so Danny put a few slices on a plate and took it up to him. He was sitting at Danny’s desk with the phone in one hand and his head in the other. Danny put the plate down on the desk and rubbed his shoulder gently to get his attention. Stiles looked up with teary eyes and Danny froze. 

_'You okay?'_ he signed silently. Stiles nodded and explained that this was normal when they talked about his mum. He thanked Danny for the pizza as he continued to listen to his dad.

Danny went back down and had a pizza picnic with Mina on the lounge room rug. She was clearly still freaked out that her Pops was not happy but she let herself be distracted by the novelty of take out and a picnic rug. Danny was washing grease off their daughter’s face when Stiles finally came back downstairs. He’d clearly been crying and Danny didn’t really think about it before he got up and pulled Stiles into a hug.

Stiles melted against him and clung with his face buried in Danny’s neck. A tiny arm wrapped around his leg and he looked down to see Mina joining the hug. Stiles smiled against Danny’s skin and reached a hand down to play with her hair.

"Did you want to go home tonight or can we look after you?” Danny asked carefully. He totally understood if Stiles wanted to be near his father but he didn’t want to lay awake all night worried that Stiles might be having more night terrors.

“Nah. Dad always drinks when she comes up. He won’t want me there and I don’t want to see it. Besides I… I sleep better here.” Stiles admitted without lifting his head. Danny nodded.

“Well look it’s been a big day and neither of us got a lot of sleep last night. How about we have an early one and tuck Mina into our bed tonight? I think she’d like to look after you too.”

“Yeah, I’d like that." 

They got through Mina’s bath time and took their turns with the shower and when they were all ready for bed and the pizza picnic was cleared away Danny told Mina to go and pick a book. Mina happily ran off to get a book then hovered in the doorway to her room, ready for a bedtime story. Danny explained that today was special and she could get tucked in to her parent’s bed if she wanted and she just about squealed with happiness as she dragged them both into their bedroom. 

Stiles tucked himself in on his side and held out his arms for Mina to climb into his lap. She happily did so, leaning back against his chest to feel the rumble of his voice as he opened the book and began. Danny sat facing them and signing the story as Stiles read it out, Mina’s eyes flicking between Danny’s hands and the brightly coloured pictures on the page.

As the story was read Mina’s eyes drooped until she was just sitting there sleeping against her Pops. Stiles held out the book and Danny took it, moving to put it aside on the dresser and turn out the light. Stiles gently slipped down under the covers and turned until Mina was on her side being the itty bitty spoon.

Danny slipped into his own side of the bed and scooched forward until he was right up behind Stiles. He threaded his arm between Stiles’ shoulder and pillow to cradle his chest and wrapped his other arm over Stiles’ waist to rest his hand of top of the one Stiles had on Mina’s stomach.

"Is this okay?” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

“You sure? You can tell me if I make you uncomfortable.” Danny pointed out, worried that he was crossing some kind of line. Stiles twisted around slightly, turning his head back to look Danny in the eyes.

“No it’s okay. Really,” he turned back around and wiggled backwards until Danny pressed in close again, “It’s really nice actually.” Stiles admitted with a sad lilt to his voice. Danny pressed his face in against Stiles’ hair and let himself breathe in the scent of him. He hated that Stiles was hurting but he was determined to look after him. They were family now and Danny was going to do whatever worked to keep this family together, healthy and happy.


	5. Chapter 5

They continued to share a bed after that though they mostly kept to their own sides. Danny didn’t know how to initiate snuggling without a cause and he didn’t want to assume he was welcome. Though each night he would wake up at some point to find Stiles had entwined their fingers together in an endearing need for contact, but other than that they stayed separate when Mina wasn’t there to link them together.

Mina for her part seemed a little disappointed. She was so happy to see the pair of them spooning that first morning. After that Danny noticed the expectant look on her face when she would peek in the room of a morning (after proudly spending the whole night in her own bed) only to have disappointment shift over her features. Danny tried not to read too much into it but he knew most children wanted their parents to be happy together. That it gave them a sense of a solid home life. He knew because his own parents weren’t exactly close and it had always kind of freaked him out as a child when he saw evidence of it. Still kind of did, to be honest. Danny didn’t really know how to broach the subject with Stiles or even what they were supposed to do about it so he kept his mouth shut.

The students at school had gotten used to the sweet little girl in their midst. The yearbook photographer had even taken a couple of photos of her so they could add her in as an honorary member of the senior class. Unfortunately for Mina the shiny new excitement of high school had worn off around Thursday. She was a three year old who wanted to play with things and run around. Sitting in classrooms all day was getting boring and the longer she had to behave herself the more her patience wore thin. By Friday afternoon she was a grumpy mess who had refused to nap and was now crying silently and throwing everything Danny handed her on the ground. Danny ended up hijacking Stiles so they could all skip last period and head home early. After the last class they’d been in he highly doubted anyone was going to miss them.

As soon as they got home Mina made a bee line for her room and shut the door behind her. That was not going to end well considering it still took patience and concentration for her to open the round door handles around here. If she decided that she was tired or hungry, or needed the bathroom, things were only going to get worse.

“I think this is officially her worst day so far." Stiles pointed out tiredly.

"She’s definitely never locked herself in her room before. Remind me to unlatch that when she’s had enough time to not notice.”

“Hmm,” Stiles agreed and headed for the kitchen, “Honestly I think I could use a nap too. School plus parenthood is more draining than I thought it would be even with my awesome new ability to sleep through the night.” Stiles held up a box of tea bags and wiggled it at Danny in invitation. Danny shook his head and moved to put away Mina’s stroller in it’s corner by the door. Stiles usually only drank tea when someone asked him to calm down from a hyper mode or when he felt like he was close to a panic attack. Apparently Mina’s grumpy mode was enough to get to him, or maybe he really had been struggling to keep up with everything this week.

Danny considered doing homework for about half a second before figuring that he’d earned some time off. He settled into the couch and going through the saved episodes to see if there was anything he hadn’t watched yet, eventually settling on a re-run on NCIS that they’d recorded accidentally. A couple of minutes later Stiles came over and put his mug of tea down on the coffee table before he wandered over, unlatched Mina’s door as carefully as possible and finally came back to settle down beside Danny, warm mug in hand.

Danny didn’t know when it started but it now felt like he wasn’t really home until stiles was beside him. He supposed it had something to do with their new sleeping arrangements and it worried him a little. He was getting far too attached, and yeah Stiles wasn’t going anywhere, neither of them were, but they weren’t dating either. Truth be told, dating would probably be a horrible idea even if it was an option because if it didn’t work out there was nowhere to go. They were attached with no take backs. Danny couldn’t screw this up with a crush. Still he couldn’t stop himself from feeling more contented when Stiles was nearby. Like his Ma always said, you can’t control your feelings, only what you do with them. 

Danny waited until Danozo disproved their first false lead on the show before he allowed himself to glance over at Stiles. It turned out he had no need to wait or to be subtle, Stiles was oblivious. His eyes were drooping, head lolling to the side with his mostly full mug cradled against his chest and threatening to spill down his front at any second. Danny carefully plucked the mug out of Stiles’ hands and put it down on the side table. Stiles murmured and his eyes slipped further closed. Danny didn’t stop to think, he just wrapped an arm around Stiles’ shoulders and guided his head down onto his shoulder. Stiles snuffled for a moment before he curled up against Danny properly and nuzzled into a comfortable position.

Stiles’ forehead pressed against Danny’s collarbone, heating the skin there. Heating it uncomfortably actually. Danny pressed a hand to the side of Stiles’ sleeping face and it just about burned. That was a fever if ever there was. No wonder Stiles felt tired; he was clearly coming down with something. It put Mina’s behaviour into a new light too. She was probably getting sick alongside her Pops. 

Stiles whimpered slightly and pressed his face further into Danny’s collarbone. Danny supposed this meant he was the one that was supposed to soldier on and take care of everyone while the rest of the family fell ill.

Mina wandered out then, her entire doona dragging along behind her and stood beyond her door looking around. Danny waved as her eyes came to rest on her parents. She toddled over, less balanced than usual and Danny could see it now. She wasn’t just grumpy and tired. She was flushed and her eyes glazing over.

He held out his spare hand and helped her as she scrabbled up his shins and onto his lap. He arranged her doona to cover his little girl and moved the free end to cover Stiles as well before he settled in to his role as a human pillow. The pair of them had fevers and with the doona added it was an overly warm situation. He tried as much, as he could, to focus on the television instead of the human heaters on his lap and his side, but concentration was not really an option with this kind of heat. He wasn’t moving though, determined to pass this parenthood test. 

He distracted himself with his phone, scrolling though facebook and catching up on the last couple days of posts. Facebook wasn’t really his thing. He’d been through more interesting parts of the internet before he was even old enough to legally sign up for a facebook account. Playing on that site felt more like regressing to kindergarten. Still he was bored and trapped and in need of distraction. He ended up snapping a shot of his flush-faced family and posting it with the comment ‘First family flu of the Mahealinski family’. If nothing else facebook was good for keeping track of milestones both small and large. 

He gave up on the phone not long after. He sent a text to his mother asking if she could pick up some cold and flu medicine and drop it by after work then put his phone aside, deciding that he may as well settle in and get a bit of sleep himself since he couldn’t really do much more.

~~~

Danny woke up to knocking at the door. The apartment had darkened while he was sleeping. He called out that he was coming and carefully climbed out from under his family, placing a very warm daughter on Stiles’ lap to keep them both content. It was his mother at the door. She had a bag in her hand that looked like she’d purchased half the pharmacy or possibly a grocery store. 

“How long have they been asleep?” she asked as she charged in and headed straight for the kitchen.

“Uh, since about half an hour before I texted you. I fell asleep not long after." Danny reported as he closed the door and crept past the sofa to turn on some lights for his mother.

"Good. Their temperatures?”

“Uh, high?”

“Daniel, I know you own a children’s thermometer because I gave you one. Go get it and take their temperatures.”

“Yes Ma.”

He felt like an idiot for not having done this in the first place. He quickly located the thing and took it over to the sofa. He checked Mina then Stiles. Both of them whined in their sleep about having something cold pressed to their ear but neither woke up. Danny reported the numbers to his mother who nodded and decided they weren’t high enough to require a trip to the hospital. Danny wrote the temperatures down along with the time just to make sure. 

He leaned against the kitchen counter and watched his mother fussing around. It took him a depressingly long time to realise that she was making her famous garlic chicken soup. It was something she made for him every time he was sick but he felt like he’d almost forgotten what it was. 

“Danny, my sweet, what was your temperature?” his mother stopped to ask.

“I don’t know. Why?”

“You look very dazed, my boy. It’s not strange to think you would be getting ill too, you know. Take your temperature please.”

Danny scowled. Nature wouldn’t be so cruel as to make them all sick but he took his temperature anyway. Strangely his number was only ten degrees less than Stiles. He showed it to his mother then wrote it down with the others in his notepad. She patted his cheek and told him to go snuggle with his family until dinner was ready. That really was an appealing idea. He’d actually been a bit cold since he’d removed Mina’s doona. 

He snuck back under the doona and cuddled in close, one arm pressed into the back of the sofa, head on Stiles’ shoulder and his other arm wrapped over Mina’s back. Somehow he now found himself pressing in as close as he could to the warmth of the others. He didn’t sleep but sort of drifted in and out of awareness as his mother cooked.

Ma set out three bowls of soup on the coffee table and turned up with an extra blanket so everyone could sit separately and still be mostly warm while they had their dinner. Mina had hated the syrup that she’d had to take but Danny and Stiles both encouraged her as much as their weak minded selves would allow before they took their own tablets. Mina ate her soup while leaning heavily on Danny and tucking her socked feet under Stiles’ leg to keep them warm. 

While they slurped on their soup, Ma went to the bathroom and drew a bath. A bath sounded absolutely perfect to Danny right now but he was aware it was for Mina. He knew being a parent meant Mina came first, even when he was sick, but he couldn’t help the little seed of disappointment just this once, for not being able to be pampered the way he used to be.

Danny finished his soup quickly and put the bowl aside so he could help Mina who was too tired to be wielding a spoon with any sort of accuracy. Stiles watched on, more interested in Mina’s progress than eating anything for himself.

“Eat Stiles. Trust me, Ma’s soup is magic.”

“How long did I sleep for?” Stiles questioned before finally restarting on his dinner.

“You were gone within about ten minutes of getting home. Mina came out with her doona and joined in few minutes after that. I stayed awake long enough to ask Ma to bring over some medicine on her way home. She turned up a couple of hours later. I think it’s fair to say the whole family is out of commission for the weekend.”

Stiles snorted and finished off his soup. Mina only had about four spoonful’s left but she was not at all interested in eating it. Danny gave up and picked her up, doona and all. Stiles shivered as the part of the doona he’d been under was whisked away but he didn’t complain. 

Danny got her into the bathroom and ready for her bath but his arms felt like jelly after carrying her such a short distance. He didn’t really trust himself to lift her into the tub. Thankfully his mother took over, getting her in the water and cleaned up. Danny just stood off to the side feeling cold and useless. Stiles came in a minute later, wrapped in a blanket toga and holding Mina’s warmest pjs. He put the pjs down on the counter and came over to offer half his blanket to Danny. He was ridiculously thankful to huddle up under that blanket and greedily savoured Stiles’ body heat.

“You know this is a huge tub, you boys should hop in too. I’m sure you’ll all fit.”

“Ma don’t be weird.”

“I’m not being weird. You boys aren’t any less flu-y than Mina. A bath would do you all a world of good.”

“Ma! Stiles and I aren’t… you know; like that.”

“So you can shower with him in a locker room but the pair of you can’t share a bathtub with your daughter?”

“Ma, stop it.”

“I’m just saying. Mina will want to stay in the warm for a while and if she falls asleep in the tub one of you better be in there with her to make sure she doesn’t drown.”

“Well I don’t mind. At this point I’d be willing to do a striptease for the devil if it meant being warm again." Stiles decided, dropping his half of the blanket and pulling off his layered shirts.

Danny diverted his eyes, watching his mother smirk and discretely slip out of the room instead of watching the way Stiles bent to untangle his jeans from his ankles. A moment later there was the sound of sloshing and Mina’s eyes went wide as she watched her father sink in the bubbles. It took a couple of tired, slippery starts but she managed to make her way to his end of the tub to settle contentedly against his chest. She seemed to fall asleep instantly. 

"She looks happy." Danny pointed out. Stiles looked down at her and smiled.

"She is; it’s so warm in here. You should get in," Danny screwed his face up at that suggestion, "Come on man. Would it make you feel better if I promise not to make a pass at you? I swear I won’t even try to play footsie.”

Danny laughed but shook his head and walked out of the bathroom to find his mother. She was cleaning the kitchen and he wandered over for a mum hug.

“You’re not in the bath.”

“No Ma. I’ll have a shower once Mina’s in bed.”

“Baby boy, you shouldn’t be so scared. You’re allowed to be happy.”

“Ma. I just became a father. Can’t you wait a few years before you try to pair me off.”

“Do you think I don’t know? I went to all of your lacrosse games, Daniel. That is the boy on the bench that you stare at whenever play is at the other end of the field. You like him. You always have. Why would you stop yourself from being happy?”

“Ma, he’s not interested like that and even if it was an option, we’re still teenagers. It wouldn’t last and then Mina would have to go through the break up too. The whole set up works better as friends. When the lease is up here we’re going to move in with his dad and we’ll all have proper bedrooms for each of us and our respective future partners. You can harass me to pair off then and not a moment sooner. Okay?”

Ma grumped and put the last of the bowls in the drying rack before turning to face him fully, “You know there is no reason that a high school relationship is doomed to fail. Not if you take it seriously and put in the effort to smooth the bumps in the road. Sure plenty of teenagers wouldn’t bother with that but considering your situation, I see no reason for you to be so scared of a guaranteed commitment,” she announced as she dried her hands and picked up her bag, “I love you, Danny, so I’m going to leave this chat until you’re feeling better but I promise we’re not done here. I’m going to ring in the morning to check on you. Early nights for all of you please. Don’t forget you medicine schedule, even if you have to wake up the little angel to make sure she gets better.”

“Yes, Ma. And thank you for coming over, I never would have had the energy for all this.”

“It’s what a parent does, dear. I’ll always be your mother, even when you’re not under my roof.”

Danny stole one last warm hug and watched her leave.

A few minutes later he wandered back into the bathroom with Stiles’ pajamas to find the pair of them fast asleep and pink cheek-ed from the steam. Danny ducked back out to grab his phone and snap another photo for his embarrassingly large 'Stiles and Mina’ photo album that Mina’s Pop knew nothing about.

Danny plucked his daughter out of the water and the pair of them woke up grumbling about the cold air as Danny dried her off and got her into her pjs. He held her up so she could give her Pop a kiss before he guided his wonky walking little girl to her bed and tucked her in. He sat with her until she drifted off again, swaddled in blankets. Stiles stumbled in a minute later, ready for bed and carting Mina’s water bottle and a box of dried apricots to leave on her bedside table in case she needed something in the night. 

Danny finally went and had his shower, lingering as long as he could manage in the heat before exhaustion took over and he finally headed to his bed. His bedside lamp was the only light left on in the apartment and Danny moved toward it in a moth-like trance. Stiles was there, tucked into the centre of the bed, curled up and shivering. He looked up as Danny walked in and relief flooded his face.

“Oh good, hurry up. I’m freezing.” Stiles announced and lifted the sheets for Danny.

Danny slipped in and turned off the light. Stiles, surprisingly, came up behind him as he was turned toward the lamp and wrapped around him like a limpet. Danny tried to be cool about that but he’d never been the little spoon before. Brian was not a cuddler and Ethan had always seemed so vulnerable and desperate for comfort that Danny had naturally taken on the role of big spoon. But here he was, too tired to even question it. Instead he just snuggled back a little further and allowed himself to melt into Stiles’ warmth and let sleep finally take him over again.

“This is okay right?" Stiles asked, breath warm and tickling at the back of Danny’s neck.

"Yes. Why?" Danny mumbled, more interested in sleep than talking.

"I sort of thought I might have crossed a boundary with the whole bath thing. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just like being a family is all.”

“It’s fine Stiles.”

“No it’s not. This is your home and your family. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or weirded out. I promise I’m not bothered by the gay thing and you seem to be okay about the pan thing but I swear I’m not expecting anything to happen. Not even when we snuggle. I just want Mina to know her parents get along and we’re not going to weird each other out so if there’s a line, you need to tell me so I don’t cross it. Communication, Danny-boy; it’s a parent thing." Stiles explained and Danny tried to focus and listen properly despite the drowsy medication trying to pull him under.

"I’m not weirded out. I promise. I just don’t think we need to be naked around each other. Home is very different to a locker room and yeah, I guess that’s a boundary for me. But I swear I’m not upset and I don’t want to freak you out or anything. Honestly I’m really tired and I just want to sleep. I’ve never been the little spoon before and I was looking forward to it.”

“You’ve never..? Right well sleepy time then. You comfy? Arms all okay.”

“Yes.”

“Alright then. You snuggle in and let me look after you." Stiles declared as his nose and chest pressed in tighter, thumb rubbing back and forth against Danny’s stomach. It was so very nice and Danny took all that was offered and finally let sleep wash over him.

~~~

He woke up at some point in the night when Stiles unwrapped himself from Danny’s back and climbed off the bed. He was worried for a moment until he realised he could hear Mina crying on the other side of the wall. Danny shuffled closer to the middle of the bed, unconsciously seeking out Stiles’ residual warmth as he waited for him to bring in their little girl. 

Stiles came in and lifted the sheet on Danny’s side, letting Mina slide in and snuggle up to Danny, using his arm as a pillow. Stiles got back in on his own side but then scootched all the way across and more than half way on top of Danny to use his remaining shoulder as a pillow. Stiles reached across to sling an arm over their miserable daughter so that she was sandwiched between the arms of her fathers.

No matter how horrible he felt, knowing that Stiles loved their little girl as much as he did made him trust in their family completely. He lent his head down and kissed Mina’s heated forehead then moved to the other side and kissed Stiles’ hair as well. Being pinned down between these two made illness worthwhile.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny woke up the next day with a throbbing headache and drenched in sweat. The other two, still sleeping soundly on top of him, were shivering like naked chihuahuas. He didn’t want to wake them up but he was fairly certain he was the reason they were so cold.   
Stiles was almost entirely on top of him at this point so he just wiggled a little to jostle the guy. Stiles grumbled and buried his face against Danny’s chest, trying to block out the world.

“Stiles wake up!" Danny ordered, not worrying about the volume since their little girl wouldn’t be affected by it.

"Wha… is M-mina kay?”

“No, she’s shivering like mad. So are you. I need to get up and run you guys a bath.”

“Aren’t you c-cold?" Stiles asked, eyes still not quite open but voice definitely shivering.

"No, I’m sweating. I think I’m why you guys are cold. Stay here and keep her warm, I’ll get the bath started." Danny explained as he prodded Stiles to move off him. 

Eventually he moved far enough for Danny to ease out of the bed without waking Mina and he set off for the bathroom. The air beyond their bed was blessedly cool and Danny gratefully wandered away to run the bath and gather the medicine for their next dose. They were well overdue for their pills. They must have slept through the alarm he’d set because the sun was well and truly up by now.

He started the bath and then went to tip some syrup down Mina’s throat before she woke up, figuring she’d be less upset if she slept through tasting the horrible stuff. He and Stiles took their pills too and Danny took everyone’s temperatures. By the numbers, they were all getting better, they just had to ride it out. Maybe they’d get lucky and it would just be a twenty-four hour thing.

The cold ones bathed until they were glowing pink and the shivering had stopped. Danny had a luke warm shower and the three of them settled under a doona on the sofa with hot porridge and the Astroboy movie. Once the porridge was finished, Stiles resettled Mina on his lap and slipped across to sit directly beside Danny and conserve as much body heat as possible. Mina snuggled up agaist her Pops and wiggled her toes into Danny’s leg until she had her feet snuggly tucked under her Daddy’s thigh for warmth. They were going to have to buy her the biggest fluffiest socks come winter time.

Mina fell asleep again, nose now running often enough that Stiles had a wet patch where she was leaning on his shirt. Danny was honestly starting to drift off as well, leaning more and more heavily on Stiles as the movie played on. A loud banging pulled him back to reality. He’d unlocked the door when he’d gotten up in case his mother came back over but whoever was knocking was definitely not his Ma.

"Who is it?" He called out as Stiles stared hard at the door and pulled his part of the blanket a little higher, obviously annoyed at the idea of dealing with humans today. 

The door slid open and Scott McCall peeked his head in with a goofy smile on his face, like that would excuse the intrusion. Danny had a hard time trusting Scott these days, he certainly didn’t want to deal with the alpha while he was tired and irritable.

"Hey guys. Saw the Facebook post so I thought I’d drop by. See if you needed anything?” he asked, stepping into the room and sort of sniffing at the air.

“What Facebook thing?” Stiles asked.

“Uh, Danny put a thing on there about a family flu. He did it during last period so the whole school knew before the weekend started. Apparently they all think it means you’re a couple now." Scott scoffed and came forward to brush the hair out of Mina’s face.

"Why would getting the flu make us more of a couple than getting a daughter?” Danny asked, baffled at teenaged reasoning.

“Uh, because they’re all shipping it since meeting Mina and you said something about sharing a surname so now they think you’re secretly married or something. I keep telling them that Stiles is straight but people are too sucked into the story to listen to reason. Anyway, how are you guys feeling?”

“Mahealinski is Mina’s surname." Stiles explained at the same moment that Danny stupidly blurted out, "He thinks you’re straight?”

“What do you mean ‘thinks’?”

“Duuuude!" Stiles looked uncomfortable as hell and Danny realised he’d just outed him without permission. He felt like such an arsehole until he realised just what it meant that Scott didn’t know.

"Seriously? Scott can just lay a world of werewolf crap at your feet and you can’t even talk to him about the basics? That’s a really lop-sided friendship Stiles.”

Scott and Stiles just froze, staring at him like he’d grown a second head. At least until Scott shook himself out of it and glared down at Stiles.

“You told him about werewolves? That’s not your secret to tell Stiles?”

“He didn’t tell me but considering how often you nearly get him and his family killed, I don’t think you get to say it’s not his secret. He can tell me if he wants to but I’ve known for years anyway," The pair of them gaped at him and Scott sunk down to sit on the coffee table and stare, "Come on, my best friend is a werewolf. Did you honestly think I wasn’t going to notice when he got a little long in the tooth?”

Danny’s head was throbbing again and there were goosebumps on his legs but he knew he was stuck here having a serious conversation now. He really didn’t want to, he was already tired enough to have made an unforgivable comment about Stiles’ sexuality, there was no telling what else he was going to say wrong before this was over.

“Y-you… Jackson? He told you?”

“Well yeah. I’m his go-to guy for the serious conversations and he got mind controlled into some seriously disturbing shit. Did you expect him to just not say anything to anyone and go on like it didn’t happen?”

“Why wouldn’t he tell us that you knew?” Scott questioned.

“Ah, because he’s super protective. He didn’t want me to get sucked in the way Stiles and Lydia were. You do realise that humans don’t have super speed or strength or agility and we sure as hell don’t heal the way you do, right? Because it seriously freaks Jackson out that you still expect them on the front lines with you when they’re so much more likely to get hurt.”

“I-I don’t…”

“You do! And just so you know, if you ever lead wolves to my daughter, I’ll cut you in half myself and Jackson will help. It’s bad enough that you keep threatening Stiles’ existence, y-you threaten the rest of us and I will end you.”

Danny knew he was being overly cruel. He knew Scott didn’t ask to be a werewolf but he was more protective of this family than he ever had been of anything else in his life. He almost wanted to keep yelling, or kick Scott out but the cold had snuck up on him hard and fast and it was taking all of his control not to shiver like a leaf. 

“Danny, that’s not fair. I knew what I was getting into and Scott’s had my back the entire time. He’s my best friend.”

“Being your b-best friend d-doesn’t make him a g-good one, S-stiles. My bes-st friend left the c-country to k-keep me sa-safe. Yours pulled you in-to some W-win-chester shit that d-doesn’t include the r-resurrections.”

“Okay, your chill just hit. We’ll talk about this later. Scott, can you fill the bath. I’ll get him to the bathroom before he loses the ability to walk." Stiles decreed, tucking Mina into a corner of the sofa and trying to help Danny to his feet. 

"What’s happening?" Scott asked, standing helplessly.

"His temperature’s dropping. Happened to me and Mina this morning but he’s a few hours behind us in symptoms. Just run the bath, please.”

Scott scurried away just as Stiles managed to get Danny on his feet. It felt like his muscles were locking up, he was shivering so hard. He mourned the loss of his blanket as he stood and didn’t want to think about moving. Instead he clung to Stiles’ body heat and buried his cold nose against the heat of Stiles’ jugular.

“Am I disturbing something?”

Danny looked up at the voice by the door and saw Jackson standing there, small plastic bag dangling from his fingers.

“J-jack… co-old…" Danny tried to explain before Stiles cut in with a proper explanation including the fact that they seemed to have left it too long and Danny was all seized up. Stiles wasn’t able to get him to the tub like this. 

Jackson strode in, dropped the bag on the coffee table and swept Danny up like a princess. The super strength thing was damned handy and Danny was so grateful that it was Jackson and not Scott that he was able to get help from. Jackson got him to the bathroom kicked Scott out and shut the door. Danny was set down on the edge of the tub but shivering so hard he worried he’d lose his balance. Jax opened the taps to full in an attempt to fill the tub faster then started to strip him without a moments hesitation.

He kept up a running commentary about how lucky Danny was that Jackson knew he’d be needed and had taken the time out of his weekend to look after him or some such thing but Danny couldn’t focus on the words. Instead he tried not to be difficult as the air chilled him more and more as he was stripped down. Once naked Jackson picked him up again and gently lowered him into the four inches of water that they’d achieved so far. It was so hot on his freezing skin that it burned and Danny grabbed at his bits to protect them from the sting. Still he relished the return of blood flow and ducked a foot directly under the tap. 

"B-bubbles?" Danny asked the eyed the bottle on the counter.

"Really princess?”

“P-parents have n-no pri-vacy. Bubbles h-help." Danny tried to explain realising that Mina would want to join him if she woke up. Stiles was probably going to pop his head in to check on him at some point too. Jackson just rolled his eyes and upended what was left in the bottle under the flow of water. Danny sat up with his legs as flat against the bottom of the tub as he could manage, trying to cover as much of his seized up muscles as he could. 

"I didn’t think you were this sick. I can get you guys to the hospital if you need.”

“N-no. Ma says we’re not at the bad temperature and we’ve been getting better. J-just got to ri-de it out n-now.”

A knock sounded at the door and Stiles called through that Danny was out of clean pjs and asked if there was another option he preferred. 

Danny pointed him to his gym clothes in the bottom drawer but couldn’t get the volume so Jackson repeated it through the door for him then took a seat on the closed toilet lid to stare him down.

“If you knew this was coming, why didn’t you get in here and run a bath sooner?”

“Scott turned up and I was b-busy threatening to kill him if he bought werewolves anywhere near my little girl.” Danny explained, shivering finally settling a bit as the water reached his waist and he settled further into it.

“So they know that you know?" Jax asked, concern crinkling his face. Danny nodded quietly aware that he had disappointed his friend, "Well, shit.”

“I know man. I’m sorry. But I wouldn’t have been able to keep it to myself for long anyway. The moment the next threat arrives Stiles is going to disappear into the night I’m going to turn into a freaking military wife sitting around worrying that my little girl is about to lose another parent. I don’t want to be that. I’m not going to be that. I just don’t know how to convince him to stop.”

“It’s like you’re really married.”

“Shut up Jax.”

“You know,” Stiles announced his presence in the bathroom doorway and making Danny jump badly enough to slosh water out of the tub, “You could just explain it to me the way you did to Jackson just then and rely on me being reasonable to understand.”

“What?" Danny was lost. Was Stiles agreeing to change his life just because Danny wanted him too? That didn’t seem right. Surely it couldn’t be that easy.

"I don’t do as much front line stuff as you seem to think. Mostly I do research with Lydia. I have no problem promising to avoid anything that might follow me home. But can we leave the big discussion about details until we’re both back on our feet please?”

Danny nodded numbly aware that this was the best possible outcome.

“Okay,” Stiles agreed and put Danny’s clothes down on the bench, “Get warm. Stop worrying. And please stop yelling at Scott; I swear this stuff isn’t his fault.”

“'Kay. Sorry." Danny agreed, kind of feeling like an ass for what he’d said earlier.

Stiles just nodded and left the room, scooping up a curious little girl that was hovering behind him and carting her away. Danny stayed in the bath and talked with Jackson until the water started to turn cold. Jax left him to dry off and get dressed by himself and when he emerged he found Jax standing in the open space staring at Stiles. 

Stiles, at least, was oblivious. He had his back to them, swaying from foot to foot and softly bouncing a sleeping Mina while he hummed. Strangely he was also reading a book over her shoulder.

"What is he doing?” Danny wondered aloud while realising Scott must have left already.

“My guess: the research that Scott said he’d get done this weekend." Jackson answered.

"Does Scott not know how to read?!" 

Stiles spun around at that, sheepishly lowering the book and grinning like he could distract them. 

"Feeling better?” he asked.

“Why are you doing stuff for Scott? None of us have been awake for more than an hour at a time since this hit and he drops by to give you work? You can’t expect me to stop being mean to him if he’s going to keep doing shit like this!”

“There’s something new in town. Until we know what it is, we don’t know how or if we need to deal with it. This could be life or death Danny.”

“Then maybe Scott should have done the research himself instead of palming it off on someone who’s sick. This is not your job. You are not a werewolf. You get to live the normal human life and do normal human things.”

“People could die, Danny.”

“So why isn’t Scott trying to fix it? Why is it your job. The only lives you are responsible for are your own and that little girl. Just put the book down.”

“You don’t think Scott feels bad about this? He apologised like three times. He just has important stuff to do this weekend and I’m housebound anyway.”

“He has a date." Jackson pointed out with a sneer.

"He has a date? Seriously? That kid gets more action than a Bruce Willis movie! Why on Earth would getting him laid be more important than you and your daughter’s health?”

“Danny he’d my best friend and he asked for a little favour. I’m better at research than he is. I don’t see why you’re so upset.”

“Because he’s using you, Stiles. And if he’s really your best friend then why does he think you’re straight?" Danny stared him down as Stiles blushed and flailed around like he was physically trying to find a response.

"Okay, I do not need to be here for this conversation,” Jackson declared as he scooped up the little plastic bag from the coffee table and exchanged it for the book in Stiles’ hand, “I’ll take the book since I’m flu and date free today. You take this stuff." Jackson walked out the door, shutting it as he went without looking back.

"You think maybe we could fight about this when we’re not exhausted instead of right now?" Danny asked quietly as he took the bag from Stiles and fished out the tub of chest rub it contained.

"He’s my best friend,” Stiles repeated in a quiet voice, “Practically my brother.”

“Stiles, I’m not trying ask you to break ties. I’m just saying you should be able to say no to him. You should be able to come out to him too. It’s a really lop-sided friendship and might not even be his fault. It’ll never be fixed if you don’t give him a chance to be a good friend. It doesn’t always have to be about him.”

“It was always about me while my mum was sick. For years. It’s his turn." 

Danny’s heart broke a little at that.

"Friends don’t take turns. You’ve been through more; you get to ask for more. You shouldn’t feel guilty or have to make up for that.”

Stiles nodded silently but wouldn’t look up at Danny after that. Danny couldn’t stand the sad almost guilty look on his face. He picked up Stiles’ hand and led him over to the sofa. Danny sat down in the corner and pulled Stiles down to sit between his legs, cradled back against his chest. 

“What are we doing?” Stiles asked as he helped pull the doona over them without waking their daughter in his lap.

“I am comforting and taking comfort from my family. I’m sure at some point you were warned that I like to cuddle." Danny explained as he un-paused Astroboy to pick up where they left off earlier. Stiles slowly relaxed back against him.

"You know I love you, right?" Danny asked quietly, jaw resting against Stiles’ temple.

"What?" Stiles stiffened up in his arms.

"We’ve been living together for nearly three months. We’re going to stay together for years. I worry about you getting hurt not because I don’t want to raise Mina alone but because I don’t want to raise her without you. My family was always just my Ma and kind of my dad. Now it’s you and Mina too. And kind of your dad. So I’m going to worry about you and I’m going to care if you’re not okay and I’m going to love you. You’re just going to have to deal with that." Danny explained, trying to be nonchalant about it all.

"Why are you telling me?”

“Because I think you should know where I stand. And so maybe you’ll understand why I got upset earlier. It doesn’t have to change anything, I just thought you should know.”

“Okay,” Stiles relaxed back a little and put his head back down against Danny’s shoulder, “Thank you." 

Danny nodded gently and relaxed into the cushions with his family. Neither of them said anything about the handful of hot tears that dripped off the side of Stiles’ face to catch and cool in the neckline of Danny’s shirt.


	7. Chapter 7

Sunday was spent properly recovering and doing what they could of their homework, realising that this flu had timed itself perfectly for the span of the weekend. Though Mina’s nose was still running like a tap thanks to children’s medication not being able to include proper decongestants. To be honest Danny still felt like a walking corpse but the other two seemed more chipper and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to push through this and prove his parental mettle. Stiles seemed to see right through it, giving him extra garlic bread with dinner and insisting on Danny being the little spoon once they settled into bed.

School bought a new set of challenges. The moment they walked in on Monday morning it felt like the entire school started staring. He’d overheard people taking bets on his and Stiles’ relationship status from at least three different groups of kids. Stiles just snorted and kept his stride, using his locker quickly then taking Mina from Danny’s arms so Danny could stow his books too.

“You two are adorable!” a freshman girl informed them as they made their ways through the halls.

Stiles happily agreed with her and kept walking.

“So it doesn’t bug you that everyone thinks we’re a couple?” Danny asked as they arrived at Stiles’ homeroom.

“Are you kidding me?” Stiles asked as he handed Mina over and pulled out a tissue to take care of her nose again, “You are so far out of my league that I take it as a compliment that so many people think it’s possible. I mean, I get that you’d be a little insulted but hey, I’m not going to play into it if that makes you feel better.”

“Dude, it is not an insult! I just, you know … you’re not gay.”

“I’m not straight either and really, who cares. I’m more interested in being a parent that a potential date these days. They can think whatever they want, it’s not going to change anything,” Stiles then focused on Mina, _“Say goodbye to Daddy. We won’t see him until third class.”_

Mina leaned up to kiss him and Danny squeezed tight to say goodbye, kissing her freshly cleaned little nose before passing her back to Stiles.

They continued on like that for the rest of the week, blithely ignoring the rumours and politely accepting compliments without confirming or denying anything. Danny had to admit that Stiles’ calm neutrality on the situation was working. The rumours were still flying left right and center but they weren’t affecting them as much as Danny expected. It was like being in the eye of a storm, watching chaos all around you without it ever touching you. It was strangely zen-like. Danny had dealt with a fair bit of bullying and rumours when he was younger. It had always bothered him to be the center of attention even when it wasn’t negative attention. The idea of just walking away from rumours without letting them touch him was new and kind of revolutionary.

Danny actually started to feel like he was getting things under control. They had their schedules worked out and between him and Stiles their family was operating like a well oiled machine. At least it felt that way until Thursday afternoon. 

Stiles had Mina with him, fast asleep for her midday nap while Danny was sitting two classrooms down. He was trying to focus on the teacher’s explanation of the algorithm on the board when a nasal scream echoed through the hallway. He was up and opening the door before he even realised what he was doing. He could hear his teacher yelling at him to get back to his seat but he ignored it, choosing instead to stalk up to the Physics room and yank open the door.

He vaguely registered the teacher rolling her eyes and waving him in sarcastically but mostly his eyes were on Stiles bouncing their daughter at the back of the classroom. Danny hurried down to meet them and Stiles looked up has he approached.

“Nightmare.” he whispered in explanation as Danny finally reached them.

“She’s not hurt?”

Stiles just shook his head and kept bouncing her quietly. Danny moved around to look at her over Stiles’ shoulder. Her face was buried against her Pops. He lent forward to kiss her strawberry curls and let her know he was there.

Mina looked up with wet eyes that went wide when she realised her Daddy was there. Her little hand cupping at Stiles’ shoulder blade like she was trying to apologise but it was hard to sign with her Pops in the way. Danny shook his head and silently signed back.

_“You don’t have to be sorry. I’ll always come when you need me; you’re my most important person, Sweetie.”_

She looked confused by that and the tears welled up all over again, slipping over and trailing down her face. It broke his heart that she was still surprised by that. He pulled in close and nestled his nose among her curls. Technically that meant he was snuggling up against Stiles’ back but so what? When their little girl needed both her parents, that’s exactly what she was going to get. He honestly didn’t think anything of it until he saw a camera flash from the corner of his eye and a bunch of exaggerated ‘Awwww’s from the students.

He did his best to ignore it like everything else but he felt Stiles stiffen his back, obviously not as unaffected as he liked to pretend he was. Danny rubbed his thumb back and forth against Stiles’ side, doing what he could to calm him out of view of the other students. It didn’t seem to be helping so instead he just pulled back to ask Mina if there was anything he could get for her. Mina shyly let them know that she needed a new diaper. She was usually able to get through nap time and even a few nights with a dry diaper but it wasn’t a guarantee especially when she’d just had a nightmare. Danny let her know that it was perfectly normal and nothing to be embarrassed about but she still seemed more shy than usual. 

“Damned students keep staring at her. It’s making her self conscious,” Stiles mumbled more to himself than to Danny. He passed her over and directed them to the door, “I’ll get her bag and a hall pass. Be out in a minute.”

Danny carried her out of the room but stopped in the doorway when he heard Stiles demand someone’s phone. He turned around to see Stiles clicking through a bright pink phone with daises on the cover. 

“My daughter’s nightmares should not be a source of your entertainment.” He bit out as he threw the phone back down onto her textbook, scooped up Mina’s bag and stalked out of the room. Danny held the door for him and followed him out in awe of his protective streak. 

They’d both managed to leave their classrooms without bothering to collect a hall pass but Danny seriously wasn’t focused on that right now. 

The protective dad thing was really kind of hot. Danny did his best to ignore the tight feeling in his abdomen and keep the pink from his cheeks as he matched stride with Stiles’ 'man on a mission’ pace.

“You just won the 'Bad Ass Dad’ award. It was … impressive.” Danny commented, unable to let that kind of thing pass without some form of acknowledgement.

“I deleted a photo. I wasn’t exactly Mr. Kimble.”

“Who?”

“Mr. Kimble; Arnie in Kindergarten Cop.”

“Right. Why am I not surprised that you liked a movie about a bad ass cop that spends his days with adorable little kiddies?”

Stiles just snorted and opened the door to the bathroom.

They got Mina sorted and Danny cuddled her as much as he could before he had to pass her back and return to his classroom to receive detention for leaving without permission. Stiles had work after school so Danny had a grumpy, sleep deprived ball of misery sulking on his lap while he sat quietly trying to do his homework with the other 'delinquents’. Though at least it made his teacher a little more sympathetic.

He was wiped by the time the day was over and stupidly relieved to see Stiles walk through the door that night with a bag full of Indian food. They’d found out a while ago that Mina was a huge fan of butter chicken and seemed to consider coconut naan as candy. He was clearly spoiling their daughter because she had a bad day. To be perfectly honest, Danny would do the same. Their little girl was due a fair bit of spoilage.

She managed to get sauce stains on everything she was wearing as well as both her father’s shirts but they laughed it off and let it slide. She seemed in much better spirits by the time they tucked her into bed. Danny collapsed on the sofa, mentally and emotionally exhausted while Stiles went off to have his shower. 

Not ten minutes into trying to watch tv he gave up, completely unable to focus on the plot or even follow the dialog. Stiles emerged from the bathroom just after he’d switched it off.

“Don’t look, but there is a very scared face peaking around a bedroom door.” Stiles announced to the room at large.

Danny tramped down his instinct to look directly at her door. Instead he stretched while staring at the blank television. "You up for an early night with a wiggling child.“

"Always.” Stiles answered from the kitchen which was out of sight of Mina’s doorway. 

“Then go with me on this,” Danny requested before turning around to lean on the back of the sofa and start signing as he spoke, _“Hey Stiles?”_

 _“Yes, Danny?”_ Stiles answered, stepping casually back into Mina’s eye line.

_“You used to have a lot of bad dreams, right?”_

Stiles looked a little embarrassed but he nodded and gestured for Danny to continue.

_“Well, how do you stop the nightmares?”_

_“Uh, usually I stop them by cuddling up to you.”_ Stiles answered, face taking on an array of pinks.

_“Huh. So do think that maybe Mina would sleep better if we tucked her into our bed tonight?”_

_“I think it would probably help. Do you think she’s still awake?”_

_“Maybe but she looked pretty tired, she’s probably fast asleep. I still need to have my shower before I can go to bed but if you’re ready for bed, I can help you tuck her in with you so we don’t wake her then I’ll come to bed as soon as I’m clean.”_

_“Okay. I’ll put my water by the bed then go to check on her.”_ Stiles agreed and headed for their bedroom. 

Danny smiled and got up from the sofa. There was a loud gasp and running footsteps before they heard Mina dive back into her bed. Stiles’ face peeked back out to grin stupidly at Danny. Admittedly that was the cheesiest conversation they’d ever had but the fact that Mina knew they were worried about her and chose to fake sleeping so she get carried to bed was adorable.

They snuck in to see their daughter who was lying there, arms thrown wide a very fake deep breaths echoing in the room. Stiles picked her up and carried her through to their room.

Danny tucked them both in the way he did for Mina each night and kissed his little girl’s forehead before heading off to the shower.

~~~

Friday was awful. They walked into the school like a small invasion of zombies. Despite being tucked in with her parents from the get go, Mina had still woken up distraught at least five times the night before. Danny wasn’t entirely sure of the exact number since he and Stiles ended up taking turns to comfort her.

Danny honestly couldn’t tell you what happened for most of the morning. He went through it all in a daze. All he knew was that Stiles had texted him to meet them at the library as soon as lunch started. 

He got there to find Mina with crumbs on her face and drooping eyelids. Stiles explained that he’d given her lunch during third period and reserved one of the study couches near the back of the library.

Danny wasn’t catching on too quick and really didn’t know what was going on until Stiles got comfy in one corner of the couch and settled Mina against his chest, stroking her hair in a way that generally made her sleepy. Stiles patted the seat beside him and waited for Danny to move. Danny finally realised what this was; family nap time. He eagerly dropped his bag, slipped off his shoes and curled up on the couch with his head of Stiles’ shoulder and his arm around Mina’s back. He was asleep less than a minute later.

Danny woke up a couple of times when Mina jolted awake but each time she would smooth her hand along one of their faces, like she was checking that they were still there and then would fall back to sleep. Danny refused to think about it at the time, accepting that she was happy enough to nod off again and following her back to sleep.

~~~

Danny woke up to a hand jostling his shoulder. He screwed up his face but opened his eyes, checking over Stiles and Mina who remained fast asleep.

“It’s time to get up, dear.” 

Danny looked up and found the school librarian standing over him with amusement on her face.

“’S lunch over?”

“Yes well, lunch and fourth period are both over dear. I asked the nurse to excuse you for fourth but you really do need to get back now. The bell’s going to ring in a few minutes.”

“We slept through class? Geez, okay. Thank you for waking me.”

“No worries. I remember when my little ones were that age. Sometimes you just need a little break.” She patted his hair and wandered off. 

Danny smiled after her and pulled away from Stiles to put his shoes on. 

“Whassamatta?” Stiles mumbled, reaching out blindly in Danny’s direction.

“Wake up Stiles, lunch is over and we slept through fourth period,” Stiles jolted up, nearly dislodging Mina from his lap. Danny’s hands shot out to catch her but Stiles had it under control, somehow managing to jump completely awake without disrupting her nap, “Mrs Maine got us excused for one class but we have to go back now.”

“Okay. Uh…” Stiles looked around helplessly and tried to wipe the drool off his chin with his shoulder. 

Danny pulled his backpack on and gently lifted Mina from Stiles’ lap so her Pop could gather his things. He got Mina settled into her stroller and organised her things before checking his phone for the time. There was still a full five minutes 'til class so they didn’t need to hurry too much. 

He opened a new text message from Jackson and found himself looking at a pic of the three of them fast asleep on the library couch with a note explaining that there were about five different photos being texted and emailed all over the school. Danny wasn’t overly surprised and turned the phone to show Stiles. Stiles looked a little apologetic but not bothered by it. They were sort of used to it by now.

_To: Jax_  
From: Danny  
Not surprised. Mina’s been having  
nightmares. Teach excused us  
from class to let us sleep.  
Having kids is hard. 

_To: Danny_  
From: Jax  
U poor bby. Wht’s the prob? Is  
it Stiles? His tragic face  
finally had an affect on her? 

_To: Jax_  
From: Danny  
Too tired for your awful humour  &  
I have no idea what’s upsetting  
her. She wakes up & won’t go back  
to sleep til she touches our faces  
Like she’s checking we were real.  
Cried most of last night. 

_To: Danny_  
From: Jax  
Hv ppl been saying goodbye 2  
her? 

_To: Jax_  
From: Danny  
Yes it’s her last week here.  
Why?? 

_To: Danny_  
From: Jax  
DUDE! Last time a bnch of ppl  
said bye 2 her she moved house  
n got dumped. BIG TRIGGER. wldn’t u  
frk out if everyone said bye wthout  
telling u whre ur going?? 

Danny stared down at his phone in horror. He’d been texting back and forth as they made their way to class. They were almost at Danny’s classroom with Mina still sleeping in her stroller and Stiles about to head further down the hall. He clutched at Stiles’ sleeve and held out the phone for him too read. He was too upset to even explain.

Colour drained out of Stiles’ face and his eyes started to tear up. He looked up at Danny with the most helpless expression.  
“What do we do?” he whispered and stared down at her frowning in her sleep.

“I… We tell her. Tell her she’s staying with us and why they’re saying goodbye?” Danny wasn’t sure. How do you prove to a child that they can trust you when everyone they’ve ever trusted has screwed them over?

People started pouring out of classrooms and rushing past them, determined to get where they needed to go in the few short minutes they had between classes despite the obstacle of a small family in the hallway. Stiles looked so desperately lost and Danny knew he probably looked exactly the same. Still he waved Stiles off to class; they couldn’t fix it right now anyway.

~~~

Danny spent the rest of the school day feeling horribly clingy. Mina slept through the first half hour of class with her fingers holding tightly to Danny’s hand while he took notes one handed. When she woke up and started sobbing quietly he bought her up onto his lap and held her, paying more attention to kissing her hair and wiping away the never ending stream of silent tears than to anything the teacher had to say.

No one pulled him up on his lack of attention. In fact the girl beside him offered to email him a copy of her notes so he could go over them later. It was like everyone else had already figured out what was going on and just sitting around pitying him for not catching on quickly enough.

When classes were done with Danny met Stiles outside the locker rooms as promised. He was with Scott and talking a mile a minute with wild hand gestures. It was clear he was completely freaking out. Scott was doing what he could to calm Stiles but ADHD breeds anxiety and it was definitely in full swing today. Calm wasn’t really an option.

“Stiles?” Danny announced his arrival, ready to skip lacrosse practice in favour of taking his family home and having some sort of intervention.

“I’m okay. It’s fine. How is she?”

“Miserable. Her eyes are too wet to see what I’m trying to say to her. I’m going to skip practice so we can take her home and talk to her.”

“First game of the season?!” Scott asked loudly. 

“My daughter’s more important than lacrosse.”

“Not when Couch finds out.” Scott pointed out and and took himself into the locker room. 

“For the record: that’s the kind of thing that makes me dislike him.” Danny pointed out as he handed Mina over to her Pops.

“It was a joke, Danny.”

“I know but I’m not in a joking mood. Lets just go home.”

“No, Danny. We can’t put our lives on hold for this stuff. It’s not ever going to stop. We need to work around it and I need to calm down a bit. You go to practice, Mina and I will go to visit Grandpa. Dad will help me get my head around this and maybe the uniform will convince Mina it’s the truth when we reassure her. We’ll meet back here to watch the game and we can have a proper talk to her when we all get home.”

“The game ends at eight. She’ll be fast asleep by the time we get home.”

“Somehow I doubt that but if she is, then we have time to get our wording right and we’ll talk to her tomorrow. There’s no way to fix this but to tell her she’s safe and wait for her to realise it’s true. No matter what we do, it’s going to take time. There’s no point putting things on hold. Go to practice.”

“But…”

“Go to practice Danny. She just needs time. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“I… okay.”

“I’ll bring you dinner before the game and we can talk to her then if you want. You want anything specific to eat?”

“At least half an hour before the game?” Danny pleaded.

“Sure. What do you want?”

“Subway?”

“Subway’s a waste of money. I’ll make you a couple of real sandwiches.”

“Big ones?" Danny pleaded, feeling like he was six years old and asking his Ma for a treat.

"Yes, big ones. Go be a teenager.” Stiles directed with a smile as he headed down the hall with Mina on his hip and a stroller folded up under his other arm. Danny felt like a horrible failure today and watching Stiles pull himself together to take charge and look after him and Mina just made it all the more obvious that Danny wasn’t pulling his weight. 

No matter what, Danny was determined that by the end of the day he was going to give Stiles a chance to be the one being looked after.


	8. Chapter 8

Danny’s focus was not on lacrosse. Coach was in fine form, screaming like a sideline banshee, desperately trying to get them into shape before tonight’s game. Still, Danny had let about twelve goals get scored that he could have easily stopped if his head wasn’t so full of other things. 

Danny wasn’t sure how he’d let Stiles talk him in to this but it was stupid and pointless. He wanted to be out there helping his daughter not stuck here on a field with a bunch of hyped up dudes worrying about getting some dumb ball in the net. He’d only joined the team because Jackson had asked him too.

“Danny!! What the hell are you doing? Get. Your Head. In the GAME!!” The coach yelled and Danny tried to nod and focus but really who the hell was he kidding. 

“Stop!!” one of the players screeched from across the field and suddenly all Danny was aware of was Stiles on the sidelines yelling Mina’s name. 

Number twelve moved out of the way in time for Danny to see Greenburg trying to put the brakes on his sprint while tiny little Mina ran out onto the field, oblivious to anyone other than her daddy. It was only a split second but it was enough for Danny to realise that this was about to end in extreme disaster. Danny dropped his stick and flung off his gloves as he ran to catch her. There was no way he was going to make it but there was no way he wasn’t going to try.

At the very last second when Greenburg’s sliding feet were about to collide with his little girl’s legs, the new kid Liam appeared out of nowhere and swung Greenburg backwards, out of her path. 

Mina kept on running, completely unaware of what had just happened and jumped into Danny’s arms. He was so tempted to yell at her and tell her never to run out on the field like that again but honestly he couldn’t do it. Not even with the terror that had just about frozen his veins two seconds ago. Instead he just held her to him and tried to calm down. Stiles was there too. He’d reached them barely a second after Danny and was crumpled on the grass beside them trying to get a handle on his hyperventilating. 

The coach called for break. Told everyone to stretch and rest and be back in three quarters of an hour for the pre-game warm up. Danny looked over to him, ready to apologise but Finstock just waved him away like he didn’t want to hear it and stalked off the field.

Danny finally let go of his little girl to take off his helmet and she started tapping him repeatedly on the arm so he looked up to give her his full attention.

 _“Daddy! I talked to Grandpa; he said I get to keep you. You and Pop both. Do I really get to keep you, Daddy?”_ She signed with enthusiasm that he hadn’t ever seen before.

 _“Sure Sweetie. We’re yours to keep. For however long you want us and then some. We’ll always be your parents and you’ll always be our daughter.”_ Danny agreed with a stupid smile on his face.

Mina smiled so hard a little squeak came out and Stiles’ face crinkled into a smile at the sound of it. 

“Grandpa’s awesome.” Danny told him as he hugged his daughter. 

“Yes, he is.” Stiles happily agreed but with tiredness wilting his voice. 

Stiles took Mina along with Danny’s unneeded padding and helmet off to the sidelines while Danny did his stretches. He finished as quickly as he could before bounding over to where Stiles had set up their dinner. True to his word there were awesomely large sandwiches. One with meatballs, one with chicken and one BLT, all cut down enough that could each mix and match to whatever combo they wanted.

“Dude, you are the best.” Danny praised as he bit into his meatball club and sent a sauce coated grin to his little girl.

“I know.” Stiles agreed and handed one of the smaller bits of sandwich over to their little one.

“Woah! Stiles, you should come home with me and be my housewife instead. I swear there’d be way less babysitting involved.” One of the guys announced as they took in the family dinner, complete with picnic blanket. 

“Shove off Harrison. No one would be crazy enough to pick up after your stinking hide.”

Harrison laughed and wandered off to loudly announce that they needed to get themselves some wives to take care of them this season. Kira smacked him on the ass with her lacrosse stick for the comment.

The rest of the night went easily enough. With Mina back to her chipper self, Danny had finally been able to focus, he’d managed to get his head back in the game before the stands started to fill up. In fact they managed to win by a pretty dammed good lead. Coach’s annoyance at Danny’s lack of focus earlier in the day was forgiven on the proviso that Mina not ever miss one of his games. Stiles had promised to make sure that never happened (which led to a whole lot of shit-talk from the team but whatever, he had his family at his back and that’s all Danny, and the coach, cared about).

Once they got home Danny’s good mood seemed to evaporate though. Mina had fallen asleep in the car and Stiles had tucked her into bed as soon as they got in.

“You alright?” Stiles asked as he came out of Mina’s room and sat down by Danny on the sofa.

“No. Yeah, it’s just been a long day. I need sleep or something.” Danny tried to explain.

“Dude give yourself a chance. I spent half the afternoon crying on my dad. You haven’t really had a chance to process everything. You don’t need to pretend that you’re okay.” Stiles pointed out and Danny looked up in shock.

He’d cried? Sure Stiles and his dad and a healthy relationship but Danny hadn’t realised that Stiles was so comfortable with Danny to just casually admit stuff like that. Through, more importantly, as soon as Stiles had said it, Danny realised that was what he needed. He gone through a full on emotional rollercoaster today and what he needed was to just get it all out.

“I guess I was all set to be worried and angsty over my kid not trusting me and then you went and fixed it before I’d even had time to process it. Don’t get me wrong; I’m relieved and everything. So relieved that she’s okay and feels secure here now. But I haven’t had time to work through it before all these other things came up. Even just what happened with Greenburg at practice is adding to it. I need to vent or something.”

“Endorphins.” Stiles replied like that was some sort of an actual answer.

“What?”

“Too many emotions are flooding your system. You need to flush them out, preferably with something positive; Endorphins,” Stiles tried to explain but it had been such a long day and Danny seriously just wasn’t seeing what he was getting at, “We gotta make you happy, Danny boy. Exercise should do it but I guess you don’t get to do all that much during the game itself; goalie is kind of way more stationary than the other positions. So like chocolate or kissing. Or chocolate kisses. Dude, you totally need a Hershey’s moment.“

Danny nodded vaguely but didn’t really get it. Stiles thought chocolate and kissing was going to improve his mood. Well, yeah, technically that’s how it works and Danny was never one to turn down chocolate but he was in no mood to run out to the store to get some and he certainly didn’t have anyone to make out with. Though… that did sound nice. A slow lazy make out session would be perfect right now.

"Pity I don’t have a boyfriend or a chocolate stash then.” Danny decided and considered taking a long bath even though he’d showered right after the game.

“Danny, you underestimate me.” Stiles teased and Danny looked up at him in confusion.

“What, you’re willing to make out with me to boost my mood?” He asked sarcastically, trying so damned hard not to think about impossible fantasies.

“Well, I was going to say that I have a chocolate stash, but I’m game if you are.” Stiles threw back at him with a casual shrug.

“Don’t joke about that okay. I’m sorry I started it but I am far too tired to tread that line with you today. If you do have chocolate though, I will definitely take you up on it. I’ll replace it tomorrow.” Danny pointed out.

“I don’t have to be joking. If you need the stress relief, I’m happy to help.” Stiles was staring at him with honesty written all over his face and Danny just couldn’t comprehend it. Maybe that wouldn’t be a big deal for Stiles but it would be crossing a line for Danny. He couldn’t do that and not mean it.

“Stiles I’m not really up for this. Don’t taunt me, okay?” Danny rubbed tiredly at his forehead and got up to head to the kitchen, “So where’s this chocolate.”

“I’ll get it.” Stiles offered and passed Danny to open the pantry door and dig around in some secret nook that he blocked from Danny’s view. Honestly Danny didn’t care if Stiles wanted a secret hiding spot. The kitchen was his domain and Danny wasn’t about to hone in on that. Instead he just lent back on the wall between the fridge and their bedroom door, deliberately not looking at wherever Stiles was stashing his chocolate, “Here we go.” Stiles announced and held up a mug with a handful of Hershey’s Kisses inside. Danny did his best not to roll his eyes at the fact that they were actually kisses.

“Thanks man.” Danny held his hand out to take the mug, deciding he would take them with him to eat in the bath.

Stiles, however, had other plans, moving the mug back out of Danny’s reach and stepping forward a little. "You can have them if I can kiss you.“ Stiles declared

"Dude!”

“No. Seriously. One kiss. It’ll make you feel better.”

“No, it will make me feel weird. It’s not fair that you’re always doing stuff for me and I can’t do anything for you. I don’t want to unbalance things completely.”

“What are you talking about?” Stiles genuinely looked confused.

“Stiles, everything went to hell today and instead of losing your shit, you looked after Mina, fixed the issue and made me dinner. Now you want to ‘cheer me up’ too. Maybe one of these days you’ll let me take care of you for once.”

“Seriously Danny? I can’t get to sleep by myself. I don’t even have any parental rights here. You’re the only reason I have her in my life, the only reason I’m rested enough to function as a parent. Hell, I’m living under your roof. You look after me constantly. And yeah, okay, I cook and I help out but that’s just what partners do. We’re equal parents. But all in all, you give way more than I do. You’re my sanity these days. So maybe I want to help when you’re having a bad day or maybe I just want to be able to kiss you, even just once. Is that really such a bad thing? Can’t I do this one thing for you?”  
When he put it like that Danny could see himself saying yes. He’d wanted to from the start, hell from long before this conversation but with what Stiles just said, it seemed like it might not hurt him to say yes. 

Danny nodded silently and resigned himself to doing something he’d been trying very hard to avoid for a very long time. Stiles jolted when he saw the nod and sort of did a double take.

“Yes?” He checked.

“Yeah, okay.” Danny admitted, embarrassed that his voice was so hesitant.

“Okay. So uh,” Stiles tried to move in and then took a half step back and looked confused, “You’re tall. I’m not used to tall. Could you maybe help me out a little here?”

Danny tried not to roll his eyes. He was already resting with his back against a wall so he just moved his feet further out, sliding down the wall until his eyes were even with Stiles’.

“Better?”

Stiles gave a breathy little “Yeah” and stepped between Danny bracketed legs. He reached up and put the mug of chocolates on top of the fridge and finally moved into Danny’s space properly.

They stood there, staring and sharing air, neither moving. The suspense should have been killing him but Danny was used to being close to Stiles now. He understood it and found comfort in it. To be honest, instead of raising the tension, it calmed him. Danny relaxed, mouth lax and waited for Stiles to make his move. Strangely, when he finally felt contact at his mouth Stiles was still a couple of inches away. Danny tried to look down.

“Take the chocolate, Danny.” Stiles instructed. Danny opened his mouth and accepted the unwrapped kiss. Did this mean Stiles changed his mind? Was there not going to be kissing? Danny was actually starting to look forward to the kissing and no amount of chocolate was going to soothe his disappointment. But then Stiles was moving in and sliding his lips gently across Danny’s. 

**Damn.**

The sweet soft kiss from Stiles and the taste of melting chocolate on his tongue. Yeah, this was definitely a way to improve his mood. Except it didn’t stop there. Stiles’ tongue swept past his lips and Danny froze momentarily as he swiped the chocolate right out of his mouth. Danny fought back instinctively, battling with him to keep the little bud of sweetness and resulted in the pair of them rolling the quickly melting chocolate between their tongues. Danny wanted to be annoyed or focused on the battle but to be perfectly honest all he cared about was the way it felt. An overwhelming, enthusiastic kiss with the kinds of tastes and textures that he usually only associated with spoiling himself. 

It was more than he was expecting by a long shot and Danny let himself sink into it. He relaxed totally against the wall, letting it hold him up as the last of the chocolate was lost and Stiles took over completely. He moaned deep in his throat and Stiles pressed in close, chest to chest with strong sure hands at his hips. At the feel of Stiles’ body pressing up against him, Danny’s hands fell back, his right falling helplessly against the wall by his head. The other fell into the doorway to their bedroom, knocking the door back against the wall and startling them both. 

Stiles pulled back and took in the sight. Danny flushed realising what he must look like, splayed loose limbed against the wall and dazed from a truly decadent kiss. 

“You okay?” he checked and Danny nodded silently, unable to trust his voice, “You want another kiss?” Stiles pointed up at the mug of chocolate and Danny felt the smile slide over his face as he nodded again. Hell yes, he wanted another chocolate kiss.

Stiles reached up to unwrap another one and Danny licked his lips, realising he could taste the last one there. A small clap resounded down to his left and Danny looked down to see a curious Mina standing there with her purple teddy bear.

“Mina!” Danny called out then remembered to smile at her and wave. Stiles turned to see her and automatically hid the chocolate behind his back like he expected her to know what he was doing with it.

 _“Are you okay?”_ She asked with wide eyes.

_“Yes, sweetheart. Are you alright?”_

She nodded but she still looked confused, _“You knocked on the wall.”_ She explained, _“You said I should knock on the wall if I needed help and clapping didn’t work. Do you need my help, Daddy?”_ Danny’s heart skipped a beat.

 _“Thank you, baby girl. You’re right we are supposed to knock on the wall for help but I knocked the door into the wall by accident. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”_ Danny explained, realising he’d done the equivalent of calling out for help as far as his daughter was concerned.

 _“I love that you came to help us. But it was just a mistake this time. Would you like us to tuck you back into bed?”_ Stiles asked, already moving to sweep her up in his arms as she nodded and held her teddy bear tightly.

Danny picked himself up and followed after them, fussing over her blanket pointlessly after Stiles had tucked her in. They each kissed her and told her how much they loved her and she was back to sleep in minutes. 

They snuck back out quietly and Stiles opened his clenched fist to show a melted mess of half unwrapped chocolate. Danny laughed and watched him go to the sink to clean off. 

Danny dropped down onto the sofa and waited. He was hoping Stiles was going to offer that second kiss again. He peered over his shoulder as the water shut off and Stiles grabbed the hand towel to dry off.

“I, uh, I guess I should go have a shower.” Stiles announced and Danny did his best not to let his expression drop.

“Oh.”

“Unless, you don’t want me too?” Stiles looked awkward and kind of hopeful. Danny supposed it was fair enough; Stiles started it last time, maybe it was Danny’s turn.

“We could… hang for a while first. I,” crap, okay, deep breath, “I kind of wanted more chocolate.”

“Yeah?” Stiles sort of bounced on the spot then dashed over to grab the mug of chocolate and bring it to Danny. He dropped the mug on the side table and grabbed another one of the foil-wrapped buds before he came around to sit next to him.

Stiles hesitated when it was half unwrapped and looked up at Danny through his lashes. Danny tried to smile but was barely able to move his lips so he gave a little nod and Stiles’ focus snapped back to the foil wrapper as his face flushed pink with those cute little white blotches under his cheek bones.

When the thing was finally unwrapped Stiles hesitated for a moment then slipped it between his own lips. Danny was lost for half a second before his brain caught up and he followed the chocolate straight into Stiles’ mouth, pulling Stiles into the kiss with possessive hands. Just like last time the kiss was delicious right up until the chocolate dissolved. It was like the food was distracting Stiles and without it he became single mindedly focused on the kiss in a way that left Danny completely overwhelmed. No one had ever kissed him with such enthusiasm before. He got so completely swept up in it, pulling Stiles to him until Danny realised there was nowhere left to go. He’d somehow ended up laying down on the couch with Stiles on top of him. Not that Danny was complaining as he broke the kiss to take a breath and dove straight back in before he could get distracted. 

Stiles made a filthy sound as Danny rearranged his limbs so they were comfortably chest to chest without legs getting in the way. Danny wasn’t entirely sure what the sound was for until Stiles shifted his hips and, holy shit, they were aligned perfectly. Danny’s breath stuttered to a halt. It’s been such a long time since he’s been with someone this way.

“Sorry.” Stiles apologised, sensing Danny’s shock.

“What? No, 'sokay, I’m just getting comfy.” Danny explained and arched his hips to make his point. Stiles’ eyes rolled back at the movement, his mouth falling open and Danny was mesmerised by it. Stiles was enjoying this. Like, really enjoying it. Danny couldn’t help himself as he surged up to suck at Stiles’ throat. Stiles made that sound again and his hips twitched. Danny’s hips moved in retaliation and a chain reaction started as Stiles re-attached himself to Danny’s mouth. 

They were making out and dry humping like horny teenaged boys. Danny tried to remember why he thought this was a bad idea but all he could remember was how much he’d wanted this ever since he was old enough to know what making out was. The reality was so much more intense than his daydreams had ever been and then Stiles found the sensitive spot on the bolt of Danny’s jaw.

“Motherfucker.” Danny moaned aloud, embarrassed by the out of character curse.

Stiles chuckled into his neck and mumbled, “More like Daddyfucker.”

That awful dad joke should not have done it for him but it totally did. Danny pulled him back to his mouth and wrapped his legs more firmly around Stiles’ hips. Kissing gave way to heavily breathing into one another’s mouths while their bodies found a rhythm against each other. Clothing was the only worry in the world that Danny had right now and he opened his eyes and to glare at Stiles’ layers of shirts. He could take them off right? They were already this far gone surely less clothes would be okay. Danny eyed them a moment longer and tilted his head as Stiles started mouthing down his neck.

That’s when he noticed the movement off to the side. He turned his head and found Mina back out of bed and sitting quietly on the coffee table. Just sitting there, swinging her legs and watching her parents make out like it was a boring everyday thing.

Danny lifted his hand and waved feebly. Mina smiled in acknowledgment and Stiles nibbled on his collar bone.

“Stiles,” he tried. Stiles grunted in response and rolled his hips again, “Stiles stop. Stop, please.”

Stiles propped himself up on his forearms and stared at Danny, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Stiles smiled sweetly in response and moved in for another kiss but Danny pulled back, “Mina’s here.”

“What?”

Danny nodded at their little girl and Stiles froze as soon as he noticed her.

 _“When are you going to come to bed?”_ she asked, completely unaware of their embarrassment.

 _“You want to sleep in our bed tonight?”_ Danny asked, aware that Stiles couldn’t sign without sitting up and exposing both their hard ons.

Mina nodded and Danny tried to hide the way his expression wilted. That put an end to the make out session. But he certainly wasn’t about to say no to her. Especially not today.

Stiles sat up then, sitting against the back of the couch with his bent knees over Danny’s crotch and hiding himself from Mina’s view.

_“Okay Mina, but we have to have our bath time first. Why don’t you go tuck into bed and we’ll be there as soon as we’ve cleaned up, okay?”_

Mina nodded happily and slipped off the coffee table to skip into her parent’s bedroom. Stiles watched her go then struggled to get off the sofa without kneeling on Danny. When he got up he stood above Danny and held out his hand.

“Join me in the shower?”

“Ah, okay.” Danny agreed, taking the hand and allowing himself to be led into the bathroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Danny followed Stiles into the bathroom clicked the door shut behind himself with nerves creeping up his throat. He'd wanted this forever. Stiles Stilinski. He knows Stiles doesn't remember the history they shared when they were little. Danny deliberately let him think that was some random other kid. But Danny remembers. Remembers being a little boy and telling his mother that a prince rescued him at school. Remembers the way his heart would beat faster every time Stiles chose to sit next to him on the bus. Remembers realising that most little boys don't fall in love with other little boys and that the world said Stiles wouldn't like him back. He remembers seeing Stiles again when he returned from the surgeries and almost a full year of physical rehab and pretending that he didn't know him. He'd been trying to protect himself from falling further or breaking his heart more thoroughly. To think he didn't need to do any of it because Stiles did like boys too. Why in the hell had he listened when people told him he couldn't ever have what he wanted? What he wanted was standing in front of him, stripping off his shirts and smiling like a dork. Danny could have this.

Danny pulled off his own shirt and ducked in to kiss Stiles again. Stiles joined the kiss enthusiastically with one hand on Danny's jaw and the other abandoning his fly to tackle Danny's. They were stumbling around on the spot as they pulled at each other without breaking their kiss. Danny finally managed to get Stiles' pants undone and shoved them down. The ridiculously loose things falling off easily but then Stiles, being who he is, tripped. Danny caught him before he hit the tub and pulled him back up to his feet. 

"Don't hurt yourself. I have plans for you," Danny joked but Stiles didn't respond. Instead he stood slack jawed and staring at Danny's chest, "You've seen it before. Our gym lockers are right next to each other." Danny pointed out, mildly embarrassed and stupidly proud.

"Yeah but... Never been allowed to touch before." Stiles pointed out with his hand suspended in mid-air but coming no closer.

Danny chuckled. The idea that Stiles might have wanted this the same way he had was still making him lightheaded. He took Stiles' wrist and guided his hand to his abs. Stiles made a slightly honking sound in the back of his throat and ran his fingertips though the grooves of Danny's muscles, slowly making his way down and then back up to rub his entire palm over a nipple. Danny's eyes fluttered shut at that, his whole body swaying forward.

"You're allowed to do whatever you want." Danny whispered, swept up in the moment.

"Not true. What I want is going to take way longer than Mina would put up with." Stiles pointed out and bent forward to bite gently at Danny's collarbone.

Danny wouldn't have planned a quickie for this moment either. He hummed in understanding and guided Stiles out of his ankle-puddled pants and toward the shower. "We can do the rest later."

Stiles stopped him at that and stepped back a little.

"So this isn't just tonight?"

"N... not if you're okay with more?" Danny answered, suddenly aware that he'd been letting his delusions take hold.

"I'm okay with it. I'm very, very okay with it." Stiles pointed out, stepping back into Danny's space.

"Wait!" Danny held back, "Okay with casual or proper or permanent or...?" Maybe they shouldn't be labelling things this early but Danny was the kind of guy that needed to know where he stood. He'd been burnt before for not asking.

"Wh... I, uh. What do you want?"

"Stiles I'm trying to ask you that."

"Yeah but, I know what I want. I just don't want to make you uncomfortable with it." Stiles finally answered, flailing hand gestures showing his nervousness.

"Fine," Danny gave in, willing to be the one to make things weird if it meant he knew where he stood, "I want you and her and our whole family. I... I want permanent."

Danny waited patiently, trying not to be embarrassed or terrified at the way Stiles stood unmoving as he digested that piece of information. He felt like he was about to be laughed at in disbelief and Danny was starting to realise that this had been the most emotionally draining day of his life. He really shouldn't be asking to be crushed on top of that. 

Stiles suddenly launched into motion and Danny braced himself to be hit or something. Instead he kissed Danny hard and possessive pushing him back until his calves found the edge of the tub. Danny held on tight, overwhelmed that Stiles seemed to agree with what he wanted and slightly scared that he was about to topple backwards into the tub.

"Yeah?" Danny asked as Stiles let them up to breathe, still somehow in disbelief that he might get what he wanted here.

"Yeah. Yes, please. And I thought you didn't even want to kiss me." Stiles murmured and moved to dive in again.

"Pants." Danny reminded him and Stiles hesitated enough to look down and realise that Danny was still overdressed for the shower. Stiles immediately set to pulling the damned things off and went so far as to actually kneel down on the bathmat to help pull them down and get Danny to step out of them. 

Once they were both naked and free of ankle entanglements Danny tried to guide Stiles back up but he looked so disappointed and resisted leaving his knees.

"But I've never tried this. I want to." Stiles pointed out running fingers up and down the back of Danny's leg and eyeing up his erection.

"We don't have time. Need to be quick and go be parents." Danny pointed out reluctantly and finally pulled Stiles to his feet.

"Fine we'll be parents but just so you know," Stiles pointed out, leaning in close to whisper against Danny's lips, "My ADHD comes with an oral fixation."

Danny melted into the kiss and tried not to dwell on just what Stiles was suggesting. Instead he mustered up his will power to awkwardly climb backwards into the tub and guided Stiles in after him without breaking away from his mouth. They jumped apart when he finally managed to fumble with the taps enough to turn them on and they were blasted with cold water. Stiles flailed but managed to adjust the temperature back to something more pleasant. 

"Sorry." Danny conceded. Stiles just shook his head and filled a palm with shower gel. 

Danny watched mesmerised as he frothed it up a little and placed his soapy hands back on Danny's chest. "Let's clean you up." Soapy hands sliding easily across Danny's shoulders and torso.

"I'm clean. Showered after the game. You're the one that needs cleaning up." he pointed out as he pulled Stiles against him and rubbed their chests together to transfer the soap. Stiles' breath stuttered to a halt as more than just their chests met and got familiar. Danny pressed his face into the wet hair at Stiles' temple and moved against him with more purpose. Stiles' soapy hands scrabbled for purchase against the small of Danny's back before he gave up holding on and let his slick hands explore instead. One of his soaped up hands sliding down to massage an ass cheek. Danny groaned into Stiles' hair and opened his stance more. Why were they standing up when all he wanted to do was wrap his legs around those svelte sturdy hips?

"Like that?" Stiles asked against his jaw and Danny nodded in encouragement of more ass grabbing. He lifted his other leg and wrapped it around Stiles' hip, forcing Stiles' free hand to hold up Danny's thigh while the other continued to massage his cheek. He clutched at Stiles' shoulders and arched into the rhythm of the friction between them. Stiles made unintelligible noises and sucked water from Danny's outstretched neck.

"Fuck Stiles." he moaned and lamented how fast the water was washing away the soap. He reached out and grabbed the first bottle in the rack, filling his hand with whatever it was and sliding it between them to take them both in hand and slick up the proceedings again. Stiles groaned and bit down on Danny's shoulder, movements picking up speed as they began to slide more easily. The scent of his expensive eucalyptus conditioner lending a weird woodsy atmosphere to the steamy room.

"Danny~" Stiles breathed out and held tighter, pulling their hips together strongly as his hips stuttered erratically.

Danny moaned encouragement, knowing Stiles was close to the peak. He still couldn't get his head around the idea that he could have this. That Stiles Stilinski was in his arms, in his hand and loving it enough to find pleasure against him. He'd wanted this so fucking long and always told himself it was an impossibility. Danny was so focused on Stiles that his own pleasure snuck up on him, shuddering in Stiles' grip and coming hard enough to weaken the one leg keeping him upright. Stiles leant him back against the tiled wall, letting Danny arch his back against the cold and helping him hold his weight as Stiles followed him over the edge, fingers tightening to bruising on his thigh.

They leant together where they had sagged against the wall and panted against wet slicked skin. Danny fumbled his clean hand up to lift Stiles' jaw and guide him into another kiss. Stiles kissed back sleepily and let Danny's leg slip back down as his hands came up to hold Danny's shoulders. Danny stood them back up and angled them into the water to wash away their mess, his freshly rinsed hand sliding around to cradle Stiles' back. Stiles kissed him one more time and pulled back to look Danny in the eye.

"Mina's waiting." 

Danny nodded his understanding and grabbed another handful of shower gel to give himself a quick rub down. Stiles did the same and they finished up their shower. Getting out and drying off briskly.

"Forgot to grab our pjs." Stiles pointed out as he wrapped his towel around his waist and loaded up his toothbrush.

"Mina fell asleep before we got home; She needs to brush her teeth too. I'll grab them and her." Danny offered and wrapped himself in his own towel. He moved to leave the room and hesitated, darting back over to kiss the back Stiles' neck before he returned to being a Daddy.

He darted into his room to find Mina sitting smack bang in the middle of the bed, not even under the covers. He eyed her interpretation of 'waiting for them in bed' and smirked at her. She smirked back, knowing she wasn't in trouble. 

_"Time to brush your teeth."_

He told her before pulling up his sleep pants and securing them under his towel. She shook her head, ready to be stubborn but Danny threw his towel and Stiles' pjs over an arm and scooped her up off the bed. She squealed at the unexpected move and giggled as he carried her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes into the bathroom. Stiles stole her off Danny's shoulder and pulled his toothbrush out of the way to give her frothy toothpaste kisses while Danny hung his towel and loaded up Mina's toothbrush. She escaped her Pops just long enough to be caught up in Danny’s arms again and handed her toothbrush. She gave up and brushed her teeth beside Danny while Stiles got dressed and hung up his own towel. Stiles helped her brush properly after she'd made a decent show of trying to do things for herself while Danny finished up his own teeth. When they were all done and the toothpaste had been washed off Mina's face, they went together to walk through the apartment, turning off lights and making sure everything was locked before they all climbed into bed. 

Mina tucked herself in between the pair of them and used Stiles' arm as a pillow, burying her face in his chest. Danny cuddled in close behind her, his arm cradling Stiles' waist and his face mere inches from Stiles' nose. Stiles lay there and ran the back of his knuckles against Danny's hip as their daughter finally slipped into a deeper sleep.

"You know when I told you I loved you?" Danny whispered quietly into the small space between them. 

"I remember." Stiles admitted with a soft expression.

"I meant it." Danny told him and let his eyes slip closed, content to leave it at that.

"I love you too."

Danny's eyes flew back open and he looked at the man in front of him through the dark. Stiles nodded, his face going blotchy in a way that said he was clearly blushing. Danny leant forward as much as he could without disturbing their daughter and kissed him soundly. A hand came up to cradle his jaw and Danny felt himself tear up. He would not cry at this. He would not let himself. But as he broke the kiss to rest their foreheads together he saw the tears in Stiles' eyes and let one of his own slip free.

"Stiles?"

"Mmmm?"

"What's your name?"

Stiles laughed at that. He tried to keep it silent for Mina's sake but then remembered that she couldn't hear and they were only whispering because of the atmosphere in the room. "It's a secret."

"I love you, you're the father of my child and we live together. I should know your name." Danny pointed out. Stiles gave a conceding sort of head waggle.

"It's hard to understand when I say it. Makes more sense written down."

"You're just stalling."

"Fine. It's Iósteinn."

"It's "your" what?"

"EE-Your-Steen."

"Eeyore Stein. Like the donkey from Winnie the Pooh meets Frankenstein?"

"No. Please don't call me a donkey. My name is ancient Nordic. Apparently it runs in my mum's family. There's an E sound then Jor, like Jorgensen then steen, not stein."

"Iorsten?"

"Almost. Iósteinn."

"Iósteinn."

"Yes. But seriously. Just Stiles."

"So I can't call you Eeyore?" 

"Definitely not."

"Can I get you purple underwear with a little pink bow on the butt?" Stiles went to say no but hesitated and blushed. So maybe that was a yes to pink bowed underwear, "You like the idea of panties?"

"No! Maybe. Haven't thought about it before." 

"I'm going to find you Eeyore panties."

"Do they have to be Eeyore themed? 'Cause that's going to take the fun out of them."

"Fine, just panties. Can I call you my ass?"

"You're not letting this go are you?"

"I like it."

"I got teased really badly for it in kindergarten. That's why I'm Stiles. I don't want to be a depressed donkey."

"Okay," Danny gave in, feeling a little bad for bringing up sore childhood memories, "I'm still buying you panties though."

"Deal." Stiles agreed with a small voice, embarrassed by the thought of himself in lingerie. Danny kissed the tip of his nose. 

"Maybe crotchless panties so you can fuck me without taking them off." Danny wondered to himself and watched Stiles' eyes bug out as he choked on the air.

"Our daughter is right here." Stiles reprimanded him.

"She's asleep. She has no idea what I'm saying."

"Doesn't make it any less awkward if you make me hard while she's around." Stiles pointed out.

"Sorry. I'll tell you about my sexual fantasies later then."

"Yes, okay. Just please shut up right now," Stiles requested, squirming uncomfortably. Danny pressed his lips together and nodded, "Goodnight, you ass."

"I'm your ass though." Danny pointed out. Stiles had to turn his face into the pillow to hide how wide he was smiling.

"Go to sleep."

Danny kissed him one last time before he settled in to actually try to sleep. _Iósteinn. I'm in love with Iósteinn Stilinski._

~~~

Stiles had work the next morning but since he worked in a library Danny and Mina decided to go along too. Danny set up his laptop at one of the study tables with his latest programming assignment and Mina set up next to him with her colouring books. Every now and then she would run off to find a book and bring it back for Danny to read to her. Though it was a lot slower to read when she didn't have her Pop there to help translate. She really needed both her parents for story time. Still, she liked books enough to do it the slow way if she had to.

Stiles was busy re-shelving things and working the counter. Walking back and forth as needed. Every time he would walk past, he would stop to lean down and kiss Mina on the top of the head. Mina was loving the attention. Danny was loving the way Stiles would rest a hand on his shoulder every time he kissed their daughter. The college girls at the next table were loving the entire show. Though, Danny couldn't help but notice they were swooning for the obvious father in the room without really noticing that there was a second father watching them do so. A possessive little monster uncurling inside his chest. He wanted the next kiss. He didn't think Stiles would be bothered by PDA but he wasn't about to force him into it. They'd talk about it later. Still after about an hour and a half, he stood up and wandered over to Stiles, needing a break from his thought process. 

"Hey." Stiles smiled down at him from the step stool he was using to reach the top shelf.

"Hey. You think you'd be okay to watch Mina for a bit? There's something I want to do but it'd be weird to take her with me."

"Uh, yeah, I guess. Whata ya gotta do?" he asked playfully, stepping down with his hand coming to rest on Danny's forearm flirtatiously. Danny smiled back and felt himself blush.

"Well, there's a Victoria's Secret in the mall so..." Danny explained quietly. 

"No! Uh-uh," Stiles shook his head and stepped up close to Danny, "I don't trust you after that crotchless comment last night. We'll buy them together. Online," Stiles decreed and Danny appreciated the logic. He also appreciated the idea of not having to ask a sales person what they thought would be the right size for a slim teenaged boy, "Nothing trashy."

"I wouldn't buy you anything trashy!" Danny pointed out, mildly offended. He had good fashion sense, didn't he?

"I didn't mean trashy like 'trashy'. Just, I meant... something we both like. Nothing purple with pink bows."

"Okay fine. We can order them this afternoon?"

"Sure. We'll get online while Mina takes her nap." Stiles agreed.

"Can I kiss you?" Danny asked under his breath.

"Not while I'm working. I'll get in trouble."

"Fine, then can I kiss you at the end of your shift so those college girls will stop ogling you?" Stiles' smile grew cocky and he craned his neck to look at the girls in question.

"Sure."

"Thank you."

Danny had to hold himself back from kissing Stiles then and there but he managed it, stepping away and making his way back to Mina. The next time Stiles passed them he kissed Mina on the head then landed a kiss to Danny's hair as well before moving off like nothing out of the ordinary happened. Danny looked down at Mina to share a smile with her and realised he had the exact same happy little smile on his face that Mina got every time her Pop kissed her. It was so nice to share being in love like this.

When his shift was finished Stiles came over to help them pack up and put back all the books Mina had gathered, letting her pick out her favourite to borrow for the week. When they had bundled up the surprisingly large amount of things you use while sitting quietly with a child, Stiles swept Mina up in his arms and Danny shouldered his and Mina's bags before Stiles pulled him into a kiss right there at the study tables. The girls at the other table squeaked but Danny barely noticed, too busy kissing his boyfriend to care.

They stopped at a salad bar for lunch. Mina loved the chicken cashew salad they had there and Danny loved that they were raising a child that thought salad was a treat. When they got home they read her newly borrowed book and tucked her in for her nap, sitting by her and talking quietly until she drifted off since she was still a little clingy around naptimes after this week's upset.

When they were sure she was asleep they went out to the lounge and Stiles bought over the laptop bag for Danny to dig it out and fire it up. Danny started up the computer but put it on the coffee table, letting it wait while he and Stiles used their time alone to make out a little. He was still in disbelief that he got this. Stiles was his boyfriend. His partner. The father of his child. His permanent family.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"What?"

"You're just staring at me and smiling like a goof." Stiles pointed out.

"I really like you," Danny admitted, "I've always really liked you. Ever since second grade."

"We didn't know each other in second grade, Danny. You transferred in during middle school."

"No, I repeated a grade in middle school. I always went to school with you, I was just a grade higher for the first half."

"Really?" Stiles asked, confusion on his face. Danny felt like an idiot. He didn't want to admit just how much of a creeper he was when it came to Stiles but here he was just announcing it in the middle of making out. Danny nodded with embarrassment and tried to leave it at that, "So you had a crush on a kid the grade below you? Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"

"Because I was a dark haired boy and you were clearly in love with a strawberry blonde girl. Lydia is about as different from me as anyone could be." Danny tried not to let his insecurities get to him but spending most of his formative years thinking there was no chance Stiles would like him back had left a wound.

"You could have asked." Stiles pointed out, smoothing his hand down Danny's arm. Danny shook his head.

"I always knew I was gay. When you grow up telling people you like boys, then you grow up constantly getting told that the boys you like probably won't like you back. I was always warned to prepare myself for a 'no' and warned that some boys might get angry if I told them I liked them," Danny explained, "I only dated Brian because he asked me out and I didn't want to say no to someone who actually wanted me. Then he cheated on me. A lot. Ethan was nice and the attraction was mutual but we never really connected. It was mostly physical really. I'm still getting used to the idea of someone I really like, liking me back." 

"Brian cheated on you?" Stiles asked like he'd heard it wrong.

"He was my first boyfriend and I was only fifteen when we got together. I wasn't ready for sex and he said he'd wait but it turned out his idea of waiting was sleeping around with anyone that would have him. I realised he had a rash when we were making out and asked what it was. He said he caught it from 'some guy he fucked on the weekend' like it was normal and he expected me to be fine with it. When I got upset he told me it was my own fault for holding out on him. He asked me what I expected like I was the one who'd done something wrong." Danny shook his head and tried not to dwell on painful memories.

"But you got back together with him at least once after you broke up. Didn't you?"

"He was the only guy that had ever liked me. I was weak." Danny shrugged, ashamed of his choices.

"I'm going to break his ugly nose!" Stiles decided, gripping too tight to the edge of the sofa.

"No. Stiles it's over. I don't want to dwell on it. Just leave it alone."

"I'm going to kill the bastard. You deserve so much better than that." Stiles decided, leaning in to kiss Danny shortly but with purpose, like he was trying to convince him of something.

"Stiles, you realise I did get 'so much better than that', right? I got you. You already fixed this,” Stiles shook his head and pulled the laptop toward him, navigating to Brian's Facebook page, “Don't Stiles. He doesn't deserve the energy you'd waste on him. If you really want to work out your frustration, work it out on helping me feel better rather than making him feel worse. Okay?" Danny tried to turn the thing around and bring something positive out of the situation.

Stiles hesitated then nodded quietly. He turned the laptop back toward Danny and curled up beside him on the sofa.

"Buy me something pretty?" he requested right against Danny's ear and set to kissing down Danny's neck and along his shoulder blade. Danny swayed a little, lost in how quickly Stiles' mode changed. The little nipping kisses tingling his back through his shirt, "You're not typing." Stiles pointed out as he lifted the back of Danny's shirt and started nuzzling his way up his spine. Danny hummed and bought up a google search to find lingerie for men. By the time he found hommemystere.com he'd lost his shirt completely. 

"Panties or a thong?" Danny asked as Stiles' teeth gently grazed the vertebrae at the top of his spine. 

Stiles paused and pressed himself against Danny's back to look at the screen over his shoulder.

"These are actually for guys," Stiles mused and reached down to cover Danny's hand on the wireless mouse and scroll down through the selection, "The red ones?"

"Red would make your blushing more obvious,” Danny mused and eyed the rose patterned lace. Stiles scrolled past them, "I didn't say that was a bad thing." Danny complained.

"I don't like it." Stiles pointed out and clicked on the "G-Strings" menu at the top of the page. A picture of a guy's ass in a white lace thong came up and Danny made an indecipherable sound at the idea of seeing Stiles in that. 

"Your ass would look great in those." 

Stiles hummed and pressed his tented jeans against the small of Danny's back as he opened that option in a new tab and continued to scroll. Danny reached behind himself and fumbled with opening Stiles' fly as Stiles opened another tab for a silky teal coloured thong with black ribbons tying up the sides. He'd just gotten the button of the fly undone when someone banged on the door. Stiles groaned and buried his face in Danny's neck. 

"Think they'll go away if we're really quiet?" Stiles whispered into his skin. Danny turned his head and angled for a kiss, completely uninterested in whoever was at the door. Stiles obliged easily, kissing Danny with that single-minded focus that tended to overwhelm. Danny turned his shoulders into the kiss more and abandoned the mouse when the banging came again.

"I can hear your heartbeats in there." Scott called out from beyond the door and Danny groaned in frustration. Stiles swore against Danny's lips and moved to do up his pants but no way was Danny ready to give up just yet.

"We're busy! Come back later." Danny called out and guided Stiles' mouth back to his own.

"This is serious guys. Something is killing people! We need help." 

Danny shot up off the sofa and strode over to the door, yanking it open angrily. "What did I tell you about bringing this shit to my door?! You do not get to put my family in danger."

Scott ignored him and walked into the apartment with Kira on his heels. At the sight of him walking in, Stiles snapped the laptop closed and pulled a throw cushion over his crotch. Kira smirked at that, looking between Stiles' embarrassed face and Danny's bare chest. Scott just looked confused.

"What's going on here?" Scott asked.

"I think we interrupted something." Kira explained, pulling back on Scott's arm like she expected him to leave.

"You definitely interrupted something," Danny agreed, "I told you not to bring this to my door, Scott. He's human. You get him hurt and I will kill you."

"I- I'm not. I just need help figuring out what this thing is. It's just research man." Scott placated, holding up a couple of old books.

"Fine. You leave and we'll research but he's not leaving this apartment and you're not staying. I don't need anything tracking you here." Danny decided.

"Did you talk to Deaton?" Stiles asked and Scott looked put out at the question.

"He's on a business trip. Something about a new kind of sutures."

"Do you have his phone number?" Stiles asked and Scott looked at him like that was a stupid question, "So call him. He might know right away. Could save us hours. Just give me his phone number and whatever information you've got and I'll work on it." Scott sat down to start debriefing Stiles and Danny grumpily made his way to the kitchen, suddenly in need of finding Stiles' chocolate supply.

"Uh, Danny?" Kira asked, coming up behind him.

"Hmm?"

"Are... are those teeth marks on your spine?" Danny flushed as he realised he still wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Yeah. Stiles tells me he as an oral fixation; he really likes using his mouth." he explained as his blush got stronger.

"So you two really are...?"

"Yep. I'm keeping him."

"Sorry."

"What for?"

"For interrupting. That he's a part of this. That his life isn't all sunshine and daisies for you two to enjoy."

Danny shrugged at that, "I'll take him any way I can get him." Iósteinn Stilinski was worth anything. He was even worth the heart stopping fear that Danny might lose him. Danny found the mug hidden behind the Tupperware full of flour and pulled it out to unwrap a kiss, swallowing it without even tasting it. Danny had a horrible feeling that Stiles might not survive this night. He worried how he and Mina would manage to survive without him if that happened.


	10. Chapter 10

Danny watched sullenly as Stiles and Scott talked monsters on the sofa. Scott had been here for two hours now. Kira had joined them in the research but she was mostly just curled up on the armchair reading trough one of the old books. Scott was still sitting on Danny's shirt but he'd gone to the bedroom and pulled on another one rather than ask Scott for his back. Stiles kept sending him apologetic looks but he continued working with Scott anyway.

Danny didn't realise how long he'd been standing there staring at them until a tiny hand curled around his fingers and he looked down to realise Mina was done with her nap already. He picked her up and let her snuggle in on his shoulder. There was no point trying to talk to her when she was still bleary eyed. Mina was never as chipper waking up from her nap as she was when she woke up from a full night’s sleep.

Danny took her into the kitchen and grabbed her a cup of juice, sitting her down on the counter top to drink it. Mina bought his arm close and kept putting her cup down to grab him even though she still needed both hands to drink. Danny smiled at her antics and played with her hair while she drank her juice, keeping in contact to keep her happy. When she was done she put down her cup and held up her arms again. He picked her up and kissed her nose, smitten with his sweet little girl. She snuffled into his neck and signed for her Pops. Whenever she did that he would either take her to him or explain why Stiles wasn't home, so Danny automatically headed over to the sofa he'd been avoiding for hours. He set Mina down on the arm and let her slide into Stiles' lap.

Stiles put the book in his hands aside and wrapped her up with an enthusiastic cuddle and a lot of silly kisses all over her face that had her giggling like a maniac.

"Stiles, we have to focus man." Scott pointed out and Danny scowled over at him.

"She just woke up; she's getting her daily dose of love. You can't tell me not to cuddle my kid." Stiles pointed out.

"I'm not saying that. Obviously I'm not. I'm just saying maybe now's not the best time." Scott got a little defensive at the way Stiles worded that. Danny felt and odd sort of vindictive pride at the wounded look on Scott's face and actively had to pull back on his thoughts. This is Stiles' best friend and Danny needed to find a way to deal with him not make the whole situation worse. 

"Mina is always going to take priority, Scott. We only get a couple hours a day where she naps. Those hours are over." Danny pointed out gently as he could, trying not to be rude about it.

"Well, yeah but can't you take her upstairs or something?"

"No," Stiles snapped out, "This is her home. I'm never going to make her feel like we don't want her around. You left off this research the other week to go on a date but today you interrupted what little private time Danny and I get and now you're trying to get me to send away my daughter on one of the few days a week when I get to spend a proper amount of time with her. She goes back to day care next week, Scott. I know this is important but nothing's more important than my family."

"I thought I was your family." Scott pointed out.

"You are!" Stiles' voice showed just how much that comment cut and Danny sat down on the arm of the sofa to put his hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"Low blow man. You don't get to guilt him out of a family just because you're not used to sharing."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean? That Stiles can do whatever he likes so long as he still does everything for you and risks his life all the time and fits into your little cookie cutter idea of what he should be? He's one of the smartest kids in the grade and he doesn't want to go to college because he wants to stick around here and do something that will help you out with your little supernatural club. He's risked his life so many times. He and his dad and even his car have literal scars from what you put them through. I told you from the start that if this affects my daughter, you are done. You don't get to take away one of her parents."

Scott looked like a kicked puppy. An actual kicked puppy, he was sad but somewhere along the way he'd wolfed out while Danny was speaking. Stiles gently handed Mina up to Danny and Danny smoothly stood and carried her into the bedroom. Stiles kept himself bodily in front of Scott the entire time. Danny felt like an idiot. He'd yelled at a dangerous creature and expected him to just take it. Hell, he'd threated Scott outright. He could hear Stiles and Kira out there talking him down and Danny felt nothing but guilty that in the end, he was the one that had put Stiles in danger. 

Mina rubbed her little hand against Danny's cheek and he smiled down at her, trying to hide his worry. They didn't play in the bedroom. The bedroom was for sleeping and Mina had just woken up so she was confused about why she'd been bought in here. Danny put her down on the edge of the bed and sat to face her. He explained that 'Uncle' Scott was a little bit sick in a way that sometimes caused him to do odd things and maybe accidentally hurt someone so they were in the bedroom until Scott started to feel better. 

Mina, of course, immediately asked if her Pops was safe and Danny sadly told her that he didn't know. She stared at him a moment like she was waiting for him to take it back and tell her he was joking but when he didn't her face broke down and the sobbing started. Danny gathered her up and kept apologising over and over even though she couldn't hear it. She was breathing in big wet heaving gasps and Danny felt a horrible churning in the pit of his gut that he had caused this. It was all his damned fault. He hid his tears against Mina's hair and tried to take a deep breath to pull himself together but his breath shook and he strained his ears to find out what was happening beyond the bedroom door. 

Stiles crashed through the door a moment later, eyes wide.

"What is it? Why's she crying?" he asked in a panic, clearly unbothered by whatever was beyond the door.

"She didn't know if you were safe and she got worried." Danny explained, carrying her over to her Pops. The moment she realised he was there she started struggling to get to him and Stiles wrapped her up in a hug before she could get out of Danny's arms. He plucked her out of his arms a moment later but Danny stayed close, holding them both.

"It's fine. Everything's fine." Stiles cooed. The words were pointlessly for Mina but Danny was grateful to hear them too. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should never have provoked him. He just... I'm sorry." Danny apologised into Stiles' shoulder.

"No. You didn't say anything wrong. He usually has much better control than that but he would never hurt me and Kira was there to calm him down. You didn't need to worry. But he shouldn't have done that. I sent him home and I've put a barrier at the door so no more creatures can walk through until I remove it."

"Are you sure the barrier works?"

"Yes but you can invite Jackson over to test it if you need to see it with your own eyes. I promise we're okay."

Danny sagged against him and wiped the tears from Mina's cheek, "I'll trust it. I don't want this place to smell like more werewolves than it already does."

Stiles nodded and kissed his hair. 

"We only have three books of lore that reference stuff that might be this thing and I've read them all a bunch of times. There's no point trying to find more so why don't I give up on the research for a little while and we'll play a game of memory?" Stiles suggested. Danny nodded and they pulled away enough to tell Mina they were going to play her favourite game and sent her off to get the cards. She didn't want to go though so they all headed to the toy box together to pick up the cards and start setting them out so Mina could whoop their butts at figuring out where all the matching pairs were.

Mina played the entire game from Stiles' lap. Danny had to point at random cards and wait until she nodded at one of them to turn over for each of her turns because she couldn't reach them all and wouldn't get up to play properly. Danny fully supported her clingy-ness and indulged her as much as he could. Hell if he'd been able to sit in Stiles' lap for the whole game he would have too.

Afterwards Stiles got back to work with his books set up at the dining table but Danny joined him with his laptop to work on some layout issues for one of his websites and Mina was set up between them with her colouring books. Mina took her colouring very seriously and insisted that she had to use the black crayon even if the lines were already black because it made the yellows and greens look prettier. Taking it that seriously meant that she wasn't too bothered by the furrowed brow on her Pops as he worked along beside her. That didn't stop it from bothering Danny though. 

Eventually he fixed his layout issues and Danny got up to start on dinner, slowly letting himself relax into the possibility that they might all stay safe through to dawn. But then, as the pulled pork was nearly ready, Stiles had a break through and started furiously texting and sending photos of the pages he'd been reading. There was a lot of flailed limbs as he moved to the far side of the apartment to pace around while he talked frantically on the phone.

Mina watched it all with amusement on her face, thinking her Pop was just being silly. Danny tried not to do anything to correct her misassumption. Danny found himself plating up dinner as fast as possible to try to get him to sit back down. He knew, objectively, that Stiles was doing this to help save lives. That this was big and important and necessary. It might be the difference between people like Jackson being alive or dead. And still all Danny wanted was for it to have absolutely nothing to do with Stiles. 

With dinner on the table and Mina already tucking in as she always did the moment she was presented with food, Danny stared wistfully at Stiles' turned back.

"Stiles?"

Stiles turned and took in the sight of dinner then held up a finger to hold off a moment and turned back around to whisper furiously. Danny's heart sank at being so easily dismissed. He sank down into his chair and smiled weakly at Mina before picking at his own dinner. He loved pork done this way - the way his grandmother had taught him as a little boy when he used to help her make family meals. He'd never sat down to it and lost his appetite before. 

Mina waved her hand for his attention so she could say thank you for dinner and tell him she liked it. Danny perked up and smiled at her manners. She always said thank you for her food, especially when she had watched one of them make it but knowing that she liked it meant that she was the next generation of his family to grow up with a love for this recipe.

 _"I'll teach you how to make it someday."_ Danny offered and finally took a bite of his dinner.

 _What are we learning to make?"_ Stiles asked as he pulled out his chair and sat down. 

Danny started in awe of what he was seeing.

 _"The yummy."_ Mina answered and pointed to her dinner.

 _"Ahh is this your gran's famous pulled pork?"_ Stiles asked clearly remembering Danny ranting about it while they were doing the groceries the other day.

Danny nodded numbly and took a bite, watching as Stiles did the same and made happy noises around a mouthful. Four hours ago the idea of Stiles enjoying his grandmother's recipe would have made Danny stupidly happy. But seeing him sitting there, phone tucked away somewhere out of sight was so overwhelming that the dinner was almost irrelevant.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Think we've worked it out. They should be okay now."

"You're not... I mean, you don't need to, um...?"

"Nope. You asked me not to do anything dangerous."

Stiles said it like it was the most normal thing in the world and then just went back to eating his dinner but Danny couldn't just leave it at that. It wasn't even a conscious thought, he just found himself out of his chair and wrapped around Stiles' shoulders through pure instinct. Stiles patted his arm and leaned down to plant a kiss on his bicep. Danny kissed his hair and thanked him quietly, unsure how to explain just how much he appreciated Stiles' consideration.

"We should eat before dinner gets cold." Stiles pointed out eventually and Danny reluctantly let go. He moved back to his own seat but Mina watched his every movement with hopeful eyes and Danny found himself stopping to wrap her up in a hug and a kiss to the hair as well. Wouldn't do to have their little girl feeling left out.

 _"I'm so glad you two like this food. My family always makes it for special occasions."_ Danny declared to them, trying to hide his earlier worry from their little one.

Mina wanted to know what a 'special occasion' was and when Danny used birthdays as an example, she sadly asked what a birthday was. They spent the rest of the night explaining about birthdays and celebrating the day that someone you love came into the world. They tactfully told her that she was probably too young to remember her last birthdays but that next year, when she turned four, they would make sure that she had a wonderful day. 

She got very excited about that and constantly asked how far away it was and when it would get here. They repeatedly explained that it was a long way away. Not until March next year. Eventually they pointed out that they had to get through her Pops' birthday first and that wasn't until after Christmas. That spun off into a whole conversation about what Christmas was and who that was for. She was pretty excited that it was a special day 'for everyone'. So of course they felt the need to tell her about Thanksgiving too. She was so excited about all these things to look forward to that even after they put her to bed she came out six times to ask them questions about all she had learned that night. The interruptions were an awkward disruption to their online shopping but by ten at night she was finally asleep and Stiles had new additions to his wardrobe ordered and payed for. Now it was just a matter of waiting for one of the pack to call and let them know that their drama was over and hopefully that everyone was safe.

With his distractions over, Stiles took to pacing around and occasionally furiously cleaning random parts of the apartment while he waited for the call. Danny had tried to distract him with a bit of alone time in the bedroom but Stiles didn't want to be so distracted that he wouldn't reach the phone in time if it rang.

"What time do these things usually get resolved?" Danny asked eventually while watching Stiles dust the back of the television.

"I don't know. The small hours of the morning? Every situation is different, it's not like monsters run to some universally agreed upon schedule. It'll be okay when it's okay and it if it's not okay then that'll happen when it happens too." Stiles explained with an increasingly panicked tone. Danny nodded at that and kissed his temple. He pulled out his phone and lay his bets on Lydia having the foresight to put her phone on silent if she was in a dangerous situation.

 _To: Lyds_  
From: Danny  
Are you a part of the  
fuss tonight? Any chance  
you could give me an  
update that would stop  
Stiles from pacing around  
like a caged animal?

 _To: Dan the Man_  
From: Lydia  
All quiet. Looks like  
they've gone to ground.  
BTW -How did you get him to  
stay home?

 _To: Lyds_  
From: Danny  
He loves me. :)

 _To: Dan the Man_  
From: Lydia  
!!!!!!!!  
Really?!?!

 

Danny smiled at the message and asked Stiles to pose for a selfie with him.

"Why?"

"Because I just told Lydia we're a thing and she seems surprised."

"Don't distract her!" Stiles looked completely freaked out.

"She said it's all quiet and the thing seems to have gone to ground. There's nothing to distract her from."

"You sure?"

"That's what she said." Danny explained and handed over his phone so he could read it for himself. Stiles read through the messages with an embarrassed little smile then waved Danny over for a photo. He lined it up with their faces pressed cheek to cheek but as he took the photo, Stiles turned and kissed Danny high up on the cheekbone. Danny instinctively lowered his eyes and smiled with a blush. Stiles pulled away and studied the pic a moment then nodded with satisfaction and sent it off to Lydia. Danny had to admit he really liked that photo himself. He had photographic evidence that Iósteinn Stilinski really liked him.

"Thank you" he mumbled and Stiles kissed him again, properly and thoroughly, somehow ending up with Danny pressed against a wall and panting, "Thought you didn't want to get carried away tonight?"

"We're not getting carried away. 'S just a kiss." Stiles explained and went to settle in front of the television. 

That was just a kiss? Danny followed him blindly and curled up beside him to await the wee hours of the morning and further updates from the pack's hunt. If he had to wait, at least he got to wait with Stiles instead of for him.

"Thank you for being here."

"Thank you for asking me to be here." Stiles answered and wrapped his arm around Danny's shoulders.

At two seventeen in the morning they were woken by Stiles’ phone going off. Stiles scrabbled for it while Danny blearily pulled himself up and realised they'd fallen asleep on the couch. Danny listened as Stiles grunted responses at the person on the other side of the line. The only words he spoke were "Derek's or Deaton's?" before returning to grunting as a form of communication.

When he hung up Stiles explained that they'd found the thing that turned out to be a family of things. They'd eventually convinced them to leave town without having to kill anyone. But the convincing didn't come without a few injuries. Liam and Isaac had both suffered in some way. They were being taken to Derek's place upstairs so they could metaphorically lick their wounds and recover. Not two minutes after being told, Danny heard the elevator ding and the sound of clacking shoes coming down the hall toward their apartment. 

Stiles looked uncomfortable about getting a visitor among this evening's events and went to check the line of black powder that stretched across the doorway. The knock came a second later and Stiles pulled the door open to see Lydia. She looked down at the black line, smiled and stepped across it with a determined sort of preciseness. 

"Thank you." Stiles acknowledged and she nodded happily before launching herself at Danny.

"You finally got a boyfriend I approve of!" she declared. 

Danny laughed and pointed out that they'd been sharing a pair of twins for a while there.

"Oh please, just because I was using Aiden for his body, doesn't mean I approved of you falling for the bad guy with emotional issues,” Danny snorted at that and did his best not to correct her odd misconception that Danny couldn't ever just have a purely physical relationship, "Besides, Stiles is perfect for you. He knows what's going on, he's smart, he's sweet and he's a really good kisser."

"How do you know he's a good kisser?"

"Ah, well, there might have been one time..." Lydia pointed out shyly.

"I was in the middle of a panic attack. She distracted me." Stiles explained quickly and with a blotchy sweet blush. 

"How can you be that good even during a panic attack?" Danny asked, genuinely worried that something had happened between them that they didn't want to tell him. If they didn't want to tell him, then maybe they both still had some feelings to hide.  
Stiles just shrugged like he didn't think he was that good.

"Maybe it was just nice to share a kiss with someone who really cared about me." Lydia hypothesised.

"Jackson loves you. Always has, always will."

"Jackson had been gone for a while at that point." 

"Just how recent was this?"

Stiles shrugged again, "Last year at some point?" he asked eyeing Lydia like he was waiting for confirmation.

"Mmm-hmm. But now you two are together and I'm honestly so happy for you. You make such a beautiful little family," She pointed out and pulled them both down into a group hug, "I just wanted to see you both and say congratulations before you turned in for the night. I'm going to head upstairs now and check on the wounded blondies. You two enjoy the rest of your night." Lydia said as she finally let them go and strutted back out of the apartment, primly stepping over the black line one more time.

"What does the black stuff do?" Danny asked.

"Keeps out creatures. Werewolves can't step over it. Neither can a lot of other things. Obviously banshees are exempt though."

"Banshees?"

"Lydia."

"Lydia's not human either? What the hell is a banshee?"

"She has premonitions of death and if she screams she can find dead bodies, like some sort of corpse sonar."

"She?... Okay." 

"Don't worry, she's mostly unaffected. Sometimes when people start dying she gets weird coded messages from the universe or whatever but she's mostly just a teenaged girl. She's okay. She's safe. And most monsters leave her alone if she screams at them."

"I've learnt a lot today," Danny considered, "But I'd really like for it to be over. Can we go to bed now please?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's get some shut eye." Stiles agreed as he happily locked up and led the way into the bedroom.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay with this chapter but I finally found a way to work in Danny's backstory a little bit. I've been in a bad situation for the past 5months or so but it's over now and I'm moving on so hopefully this is the last time it takes me so long to update.

The next day was simpler.  No stress, no fuss, no work schedules to get around. They had family breakfast of Sunday waffles and went to the park to run around.  After the energy they used up at the park and the interrupted sleep from the night before, it wasn’t just Mina who was ready for a nap after lunch.  Mina and Danny were yawning at each other like a feedback loop; each yawn of one, triggering one in the other.  Mina went down for her nap without any fuss, sleeping quickly and soundly.

 

"You look like you need a rest now too." Stiles pointed out as they slipped out of Mina's room.

 

Danny just hummed in response.  He hadn't realised how much had been sapped from him the day before until it came time for him to recover.

 

"I guess yesterday was kind of mentally exhausting.  I don't know how you managed to keep this up for so long."

 

"Many years of insomnia turned out to be good training.  You wanna come lay down with me for a bit?" Stiles asked holding out his hand.

 

Danny thought nothing of it as he took his hand and trailed him into the bedroom.  They lay down and Stiles shifted to lay on top of him.  He'd picked up on the fact that Danny liked to be pressed down into the mattress like this.  Stiles was far more perceptive than most people gave him credit for.  Danny held him with loose arms and let his eyes slip closed.

 

Stiles pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone and Danny hummed, quiet and content.  Another kiss pressed soft and lingering against his throat and Danny let his attention come back to centre on his boyfriend, suddenly far less sleepy.  Soft lips against the underside of his jaw, startlingly close to the spot that always thrilled Danny.

 

"Mmm Stiles." Danny crooned, liking the way things were going.

 

"I can stop if you're too tired." Stiles offered, leaning up to breathe against Danny's lips.

 

"Never too tired for you." Danny offered and lifted up to meet him.

 

Stiles kissed him properly and Danny let himself be guided back to the pillow.  He still couldn't get over the heady consumption of Stiles' kisses.  His hands roamed the smooth planes of his back, finding their way beneath Stiles' loose clothing to clutch, sweaty palmed against his skin.  He was smiling against Danny's skin between kisses as he explored Danny's ear and neck.

 

By some miracle Stiles was only wearing one shirt and happily helped Danny remove it, smirking down at him from above before kissing him again.  Danny let his hands roam, in awe of the runner's build Stiles hid under layered plaids.  How he'd managed to get the guy of his dreams only to find out he was even hotter than expected was beyond him but he was counting his blessings as he ran his fingers over the strong planes of Stiles' stomach.

 

They made out without any rush or urgency.  They had all the time in the world to explore.  Slowly their clothes disappeared until they were both shirtless, Danny's hand inside Stiles' open jeans for no more lascivious a reason than to clutch at his bare hip.  Danny jeans and underwear were half way down his thighs and restricting his instinct to open his legs further as Stiles fondled him.  Long lean fingers tickling the inside of his thighs gently before stroking him slowly and then moving down to play with his balls.  Stiles was new to being with a guy and enjoying his explorations.  Danny certainly wasn't complaining about the devoted attention.

 

He panted against Stiles' jaw as he was blindly explored with gentle caresses, guiding Stiles to the more pleasurable techniques with moans and nods and kisses wherever encouragement was required.

 

"Here?" Stiles whispered as a fingertip grazed the soft skin behind his balls.

 

Danny nodded and groaned, "Stronger".

 

Stiles pressed there with two fingertips, rubbing a small circle against his prostate.  Danny fought against the constraint of the jeans around his thighs, wishing he could accommodate more than just Stiles' hand between his legs.

 

"Yeah?" Stiles asked, voice perky with success, "You like that."

 

Danny nodded and bit down on Stiles' ear lobe as he repeated the move. Stiles made a happy sound at his ability to pleasure his boyfriend and rubbed himself against Danny's thigh.  Danny strained and writhed as Stiles played, thrilling him then backing off to tickle along innocent skin before he returned.

 

"Please." Danny begged as a light touch trailed down his shaft, slowly heading back toward his prostate.  He was all anticipation as his nerve endings tracked Stiles' fingertips.  Stiles though, did not stop where he expected, fingers trailing lower and further than before. Danny felt his heart hammering as he tried to move in time.  It took three shockingly long heartbeats before his hand clutched around Stiles' wrist to stop him.

 

"You okay?" Stiles asked, letting Danny lift his hand away.

 

"Yeah," Danny's voice was shaking and he took a moment to calm down before answering, "Sorry, I just can't do that right now."

 

Stiles physically reacted to that, taking his hand back and shaking himself a little before nodding and going all soft eyed.

 

"Of course, yeah.  I mean ... yeah.  Totally.  First time with a new person is still a first time and that's not a small thing.  I shouldn't have assumed.  Totally cool though.  I know, with the whole Brian thing and all, that it might not be easy for you.  I'm cool with that.  I want you to know that I'm cool with you taking as much time as you need. I don't want to ever make you uncomfortable or rushed or-"

 

"Stiles, stop!" Danny leant up and kissed him quickly, smiling at his sweetheart of a boyfriend, "That's not it at all.  I want to.  I just can't do that right now.  I wasn't planning on this happening in the middle of the day and I didn't ... prepare."

 

Stiles looked baffled, complete with adorable head tilt.

 

"I didn't 'clean house'... you know?"  Danny hated that they were discussing this.  He didn't want Stiles to think about him like that.  It's just so not sexy and right now Danny desperately wanted to keep the sexy atmosphere.

 

Stiles still looked confused as he tried to decipher what Danny was saying.  It took him another couple of moments before realisation dawned and Stiles' eyes shot back to Danny's face, "Enema!  You mean an enema. 'Cause gay sex needs -"

 

"Please don't say it again." Danny begged and Stiles softened against his side.

 

"Sorry.  Just kind of new to this part."

 

"It's cool.  I just don't want you to think about me like that.  I want you to want me, not think about gross stuff." Danny pointed out shyly, playing with one of Stiles' belt loops to avoid having to make eye contact.

 

"Dan, I want you.  I want you a lot.  And I don't think it's gross that you would want to keep our sexy times hygienic.  But if you don't want to do that, you should know that what happened in the shower the other night was amazing and if that's as far as you want to go, I'm more than cool with it."

 

"I want you... inside me." Danny explained, slightly embarrassed at saying something like that but mostly just determined to clarify what he wanted.   Stiles looked taken aback, face flushing with happiness.

 

"Okay, I... yeah.  So how about this; you let me know how much warning you need and, when I want to ask for something I will ask.  If you say yes, then I will give you some privacy between the time of the question and when you chose to approach me with a green light so that you can ... y'know.  That work for you?"

 

"Thank you," Danny nodded but he felt like he was taking something from Stiles, "I'm sorry it can be as spontaneous as you're used to."

 

"Hey, no.  We can do spontaneous.  The shower was nowhere near planned but it was awesome.  We can still have spontaneous sex; it just won't be ... internal."

 

Danny could not get over how often Stiles managed to be more perfect than he expected.

"So you're totally okay with this?"

 

"Danny, so long as I get to keep kissing you, I am totally okay."

 

Danny couldn't help but pull him down for another kiss that had them reverting back to their full blown make out session fairly quickly.  He slipped his hand back into Stiles' jeans to grab a handful of that sweet little ass, pulling Stiles flush against him and grinding up against his abs. 

 

Stiles broke away to pant in a decent lungful of air and push his jeans further down.  Danny made an approving sound and helped push the offending fabric out of the way.

 

"Oh yeah, you want me naked." Stiles taunted playfully, pride tinting his voice beautifully.

 

Danny made an unexpectedly loud sound of approval that turned into a whine as Stiles pulled away to completely remove his jeans and then began tugging at Danny's as well.  Danny let himself be stripped of the last of his clothing.  He was finally able to give into the instinct to let his legs fall open and welcome Stiles properly.  Stiles though, did not return in the way Danny expected.  Instead he got back on the bed and lay down with his shoulders between Danny's knees. 

 

"What are you doing down there?" he grumbled, wanting nothing more than the return of his boyfriend's mouth.

 

"We didn't have time the other night but we have time now." Stiles explained vaguely as he shuffled forward to plant his elbows in the mattress either side of Danny's hips.  Danny had a muffled memory of Stiles refusing to get off his knees after the last time he'd helped Danny out of his pants.

 

"Oral fixation?" 

 

"Mmmmhmmm." Stiles smirked before licking a stripe up Danny's thigh and nuzzling his way up to suck Danny straight into his mouth.

 

Danny swore and did his best to keep his hips still as Stiles explored.  Danny was good at blow jobs.  He didn't spend all those years playing trumpet for nothing. Still all the tricks in his arsenal seemed pathetic in comparison to Stiles' natural curiosity. 

 

"Stiles, please!  I'm not going to last," Danny warned, not sure if he wanted Stiles to stop or not.  All Stiles did though was make a happy noise and do this weird awesome wiggle thing with his tongue, "Seriously, it tastes bad.  You should st- ah please! Iósteinn!" Danny whined, dangerously close and trying desperately to hold off. 

 

He'd been horrified the first time he'd tasted Brian like this and he didn't want to do that to Stiles without warning him or letting him know it was okay to avoid that part.  Stiles though, seemed to want it, Danny's desperation only spurring him on, "Stop!  Stoop!"  Danny clenched down on himself, refusing to give into the building pleasure.

 

Stiles stopped as soon as he was asked and propped himself up on his elbows to look Danny in the eye. 

 

"Did I do something wrong?  Are you okay?" 

 

Stiles looked so worried and abashed.  Danny's desperate grip on his shoulder relaxed and he rubbed his thumb back and forth against the lightly bruising skin in apology.

 

"No.  I just didn't want you to get a mouthful.  It's worse than you expect." Danny explained, squirming a little at the sight of those flushed lips and darkened eyes.  He was trying so hard to be a good boyfriend while his body screamed at him to just take all that was on offer.

 

"I want to try."

 

"Sure but not an uncontrollable mouthful all at once.  Maybe ease into it?" Danny tried to be gentle.  He didn't want to be pushy or condescending like he'd had to put up with in the past.

 

Stiles shrugged his acceptance of the advice and wrapped a hand around Danny's shaft.

"You know what I love about when you were coming undone just then?" he asked, voice soft and breath tingling against the overheated skin of an inner thigh.  Danny couldn't think straight enough to reply with that perfect grip rushing him back toward the edge almost immediately, "The fact that you used my name when you got close. My real name.  You weren't thinking about anyone else.  Just me.  Me in a way no one else has ever seen.  The fact that _you_ want _me_ is just so fucking amazing~" Stiles breathed against him, hot and tingling with every word and Danny came completely undone.  He wanted to cry out his name again but Danny wasn't capable of coherent sound, instead he just let out a noise and spilled over Iósteinn's fingers.

 

Danny came back to himself to the feel of a smile pressed into his thigh.  He looked down to see Stiles resting blissfully against him, hand still cradling him with a restless thumb causing twitches of pleasure to roil through Danny's lower half.  He seemed perfectly happy to lay there and wait for Danny's afterglow to recede a bit.

 

"Hey." Danny muttered softly, running his finger down the slope of Stiles' nose to get his attention.  Stiles looked up at him slowly, eyes still dark with lust. 

 

"Can I taste now?" he asked quietly, breath still fanning out against Danny's sensitive skin.

 

Danny nodded.  Instead of licking his finger or something as Danny had expected, Stiles wiped the majority of the mess off Danny with his fingers then dove in to suck the slowly softening shaft back into his mouth.

 

Danny's oversensitive body reacted in shock, his hands planting into the mattress as his upper body flew upward, eyes locked on Stiles the entire time. Unable to make sound or so much as inhale.

 

Stiles pulled off again with filthy slurping sound and smacked his mouth a couple of times. "More bitter than I thought." he decided.

 

"Dude!"

 

"Too much?"

 

"Yeah, lil' bit." Danny chided as he guided Stiles back up and away from his cock.

 

"Sorry."  Stiles kissed his shoulder and reached for the tissues to clean off his hand.

 

Danny took the opportunity to kiss the side of Stiles' neck as he strained sideways.  Stiles made a heady sound and leaned into it, reminding Danny that he'd barely been touched so far.

 

"You know," Danny whispered as he wrapped his hand around Stiles' cock and felt a forehead press into his shoulder, "if you keep talking to me like that when I'm so close to the edge, I'm going to start getting hard every time you speak." 

 

Stiles was breathing hard through his nose and rubbing his face in Danny's hair like a cat scenting his territory as he clutched at Danny's biceps.

 

"You like my mouth?" he managed to ask, voice deep and shaking slightly.

 

"I like your mouth, and your voice, and you."

 

Stiles made a happy sound and kissed Danny sloppily before nuzzling at the side of his neck with quiet desperate little sounds throbbing out of him.  Danny tightened his grip but slowed his strokes a little, letting him soak in the feeling.

 

"Lay back for me?" he asked but Stiles shook his head and gripped harder against Danny's skin.

 

"Too close." he warned and tilted his head up searching for a kiss. 

 

Danny obliged happily, trying to move his tongue in time to his hand movements but Stiles' laconic enthusiasm got in the way as he tried to both drive the kiss and wallow in the sensations Danny was giving him.  It ended up being sloppy and noisy but Stiles seemed happy with it.  It lasted barely a couple of minutes before Danny felt Stiles tense up with a groan as hot moisture spilt out over his fingers and stomach.  Stiles sighed with contentment and stretched like a cat on top of Danny.

"Mmm" he kissed along Danny's shoulder and settled in like he was just going to slip straight off to sleep. 

 

Danny reached for a tissue and cleaned off his hand before wrapping Stiles up in his arms.  Stiles' hands travelled restlessly, trying to find the right position before he slipped off to sleep, "Set an alarm so Mina doesn't find us like this?" he requested against Danny's skin. 

 

"'Kay." Danny reached over for the phone that was charging on the nightstand.  It was Stiles' phone but neither of them had a lock screen.  Mina loved playing the games so they forewent security so she could access them when she was bored.  Danny set the alarm and tucked his arms back around his boyfriend's sweaty torso.

 

As they drifted, Stiles ran his hand along Danny's skin, pausing when he found a scar.  Danny thought nothing of it.  They'd been locker neighbours for years.  He was sure Stiles knew about the twin scars on either side of his rib cage.  So he was a little surprised when Stiles propped himself up on his elbows to look at them properly.

 

"Where did these come from?"

 

"Surgery.  The one that held me back a year."  Danny explained vaguely, not really in the mood to talk so much as wallow in post coital bliss.

 

"What kind of surgery?" Stiles pressed.  Danny tried not to sigh. He'd been putting this off for years but he couldn't hide it from Stiles forever.  Especially not now.

 

"I had a problem with the cartilage in my rib cage.  It didn't form right in the womb.  So it kind of pinched my ribs.  Like pinching one side of a slinky.  I was permanently hunched over.  Didn't have the money to fix it when I was a baby so they had to wait for my teenaged growth spurts.  I started to get taller and they put me in surgery to slice up my cartilage and put a bar through my rib cage that connected to a back brace.  Took three surgeries and a full year of intensive physical therapy but in the end I had a straight back and could finally breathe without the pressure of my ribs squeezing the hell out of my lungs."

 

Danny did his best to be nonchalant about the whole thing.  He was pretty sure Stiles could feel his heartbeat hammering hard in his chest though.  It was embarrassing for his childhood secret to come out like this.  He was ashamed of the way he'd acted when he'd returned to school and just melded into the popular group after so long being the deformed target of bullying by people just like them a year before.

 

"You couldn't stand up straight?" Stiles asked, confused but gentle, "I knew a boy like that.  Used to catch the bus home with him every day. Never really found out what happened to him.  He just left one day and never came back." His voice was sad and the look on his face said he didn't really expect that the boy had survived.

 

"Stiles..." Danny took a deep breath and braced himself for being yelled at. "That was me.  I used to sit with you on the bus.  I came back.  I just looked different after the surgery ... taller, more grown up and all the PT did give me pretty big muscles.  I think that was more of a change for me than the height was; not being so weak anymore." 

 

Danny looked up, expecting Stiles to be mad for not telling him who he was as soon as he'd returned.  Instead Stiles was staring at him in wonder. 

 

"You're my Daniel?  My bus boy?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Hell, Dan, I thought you were dead.  When you didn't come back I asked a girl in your grade and she said that you'd gone to hospital for something and never came back.  That her class had been told you never were coming back.  We all thought you were dead.  Why the hell wouldn't you say something??"

 

"I know I should of.  I really should have.  But every day I got pushed around and knocked over.  I couldn't look up far enough to see their faces so I couldn't report them.  Bullies are cowards and I was the best target they were ever going to get.  As it was I barely ever spoke.  I hated how frustrated everyone would get at me having to take a breath between every syllable.  I spent my childhood in fear.  The only time I ever felt safe was after you defended me the bus stop and insisted on sitting by me every day to keep the other guys away.  You told them that very first day. Said if you ever saw them touch me again your dad would arrest them for assault.  You were my hero, Stiles.  But you were also the only link between healthy strong popular me and the pathetic target for bullies that I used to be.  I was terrified that if I hung out with you, they'd figure out who I was and I'd stop being Danny.  I never wanted to be called Quasimodo again.  I was just so scared of people figuring it out.  I know that it was wrong.  I missed listening to you talk to me like I was normal the whole way home every day.  Loved that you could just talk to me like it was a real conversation without ever needing my input or response.  I should have told you.  I wanted to..."  Danny drifted off.  Not sure what else he could say to explain himself.

 

"You could have told me.  I get it though.  You made it big when you got back but I've seen Jackson's life.  I know how hard he works to keep his status and he's got no reason to lose it.  I get that it would have been stressful for you.  I do.  But Daniel...," Stiles broke off there, eyes wet as he looked Danny up and down, "I'm so glad you're okay.  You have no idea how much it hurt to think you'd...  I'm happy you're okay.  I'm really happy I found you again.  And if you don't mind, I'm going to keep you this time.  You go to hospital again, you better bloody tell me about it so I can visit you."

 

Danny let out a wet laugh, overwhelmed that Stiles had taken it so well and beyond words that he'd found his way back to Stiles' side, "I promise.  I'm not going to leave you again." 


End file.
